Podcast appearances and mentions of Tamara Mellon

Founders ✓ Claim : Read the notes at at podcastnotes.org. Don't forget to subscribe for free to our newsletter, the top 10 ideas of the week, every Monday --------- When Tamara Mellon's father lent her the seed money to start a high-end shoe company, he cautioned her: “Don't let the accountants run your business.” Little did he know that over the next fifteen years, the struggle between “financial” and “creative” would become one of the central themes as Mellon's business.Mellon grew Jimmy Choo into a billion dollar brand and her personal glamour made her an object of global media fascination. Vogue photographed her wedding. Vanity Fair covered her divorce and the criminal trial that followed. The Wall Street Journal reported on her relentless battle between “the suits” and “the creatives" and Mellon's triumph against a brutally hostile takeover attempt.But despite her eventual fame and fortune, Mellon didn't have an easy road to success. Her early life was marked by a tumultuous and broken family life, battles with anxiety and depression, and a stint in rehab. Determined not to end up unemployed, penniless, and living in her parents' basement under the control of her alcoholic mother, Mellon honed her natural business sense and invested in what she knew best—fashion.In creating the shoes that became a fixture on Sex and the City and red carpets around the world, Mellon relied on her own impeccable sense of what the customer wanted—because she was that customer. What she didn't know at the time was that success would come at a high price—after struggles with an obstinate business partner, a conniving first CEO, a turbulent marriage, and a mother who tried to steal her hard-earned wealth.Now Mellon shares the whole larger-than-life story, with shocking details that have never been presented before. From her troubled childhood to her time as a young editor at Vogue to her partnership with the cobbler Jimmy Choo, to her very public relationships, Mellon offers an honest and gripping account of the episodes that have made her who she is today.In My Shoes is a definitive book for fashion aficionados, aspiring entrepreneurs, and anyone who loves a juicy true story about sex, drugs, money, power, high heels, and overcoming adversity. This episode is what I learned from reading In My Shoes: A Memoir by Tamara Mellon. -----Ramp gives you everything you need to control spend, watch your costs, and optimize your financial operations —all on a single platform. Make history's greatest entrepreneurs proud by going to Ramp and learning how they can help your business control your costs and save time and money.-----Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book ----Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here. ----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

Founders ✓ Claim Key Takeaways  Top insights from the episode Ambush your customer and pay a premium for prime real estate to do so Follow your instincts and make what you want to see in the worldLearn where your customers aggregate, then put your product in front of themIf you love what you do, never give up control; retention of total control is paramount  Find an earned secret and then exploit the hell out of it for decadesMediocrity is invisible until passion shows up and exposes it   Surround yourself with the best people: You will make thousands of little decisions with the people you work with; the consequences of these compound with time, hence why it is critical to work with the best decision-makers possible Despite the situation that you are born into, know that you have the agency to improve your standing in the world Embrace whatever it is that makes you different from others; this is your competitive edge, and it is best to lean into it “It may seem that now and then I need a rescuer. But over time, I learned to rescue myself.” – Tamara Mellon Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgWhen Tamara Mellon's father lent her the seed money to start a high-end shoe company, he cautioned her: “Don't let the accountants run your business.” Little did he know that over the next fifteen years, the struggle between “financial” and “creative” would become one of the central themes as Mellon's business.Mellon grew Jimmy Choo into a billion dollar brand and her personal glamour made her an object of global media fascination. Vogue photographed her wedding. Vanity Fair covered her divorce and the criminal trial that followed. The Wall Street Journal reported on her relentless battle between “the suits” and “the creatives" and Mellon's triumph against a brutally hostile takeover attempt.But despite her eventual fame and fortune, Mellon didn't have an easy road to success. Her early life was marked by a tumultuous and broken family life, battles with anxiety and depression, and a stint in rehab. Determined not to end up unemployed, penniless, and living in her parents' basement under the control of her alcoholic mother, Mellon honed her natural business sense and invested in what she knew best—fashion.In creating the shoes that became a fixture on Sex and the City and red carpets around the world, Mellon relied on her own impeccable sense of what the customer wanted—because she was that customer. What she didn't know at the time was that success would come at a high price—after struggles with an obstinate business partner, a conniving first CEO, a turbulent marriage, and a mother who tried to steal her hard-earned wealth.Now Mellon shares the whole larger-than-life story, with shocking details that have never been presented before. From her troubled childhood to her time as a young editor at Vogue to her partnership with the cobbler Jimmy Choo, to her very public relationships, Mellon offers an honest and gripping account of the episodes that have made her who she is today.In My Shoes is a definitive book for fashion aficionados, aspiring entrepreneurs, and anyone who loves a juicy true story about sex, drugs, money, power, high heels, and overcoming adversity. This episode is what I learned from reading In My Shoes: A Memoir by Tamara Mellon. -----Ramp gives you everything you need to control spend, watch your costs, and optimize your financial operations —all on a single platform. Make history's greatest entrepreneurs proud by going to Ramp and learning how they can help your business control your costs and save time and money.-----Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book ----Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here. ----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

When Tamara Mellon's father lent her the seed money to start a high-end shoe company, he cautioned her: “Don't let the accountants run your business.” Little did he know that over the next fifteen years, the struggle between “financial” and “creative” would become one of the central themes as Mellon's business.Mellon grew Jimmy Choo into a billion dollar brand and her personal glamour made her an object of global media fascination. Vogue photographed her wedding. Vanity Fair covered her divorce and the criminal trial that followed. The Wall Street Journal reported on her relentless battle between “the suits” and “the creatives" and Mellon's triumph against a brutally hostile takeover attempt.But despite her eventual fame and fortune, Mellon didn't have an easy road to success. Her early life was marked by a tumultuous and broken family life, battles with anxiety and depression, and a stint in rehab. Determined not to end up unemployed, penniless, and living in her parents' basement under the control of her alcoholic mother, Mellon honed her natural business sense and invested in what she knew best—fashion.In creating the shoes that became a fixture on Sex and the City and red carpets around the world, Mellon relied on her own impeccable sense of what the customer wanted—because she was that customer. What she didn't know at the time was that success would come at a high price—after struggles with an obstinate business partner, a conniving first CEO, a turbulent marriage, and a mother who tried to steal her hard-earned wealth.Now Mellon shares the whole larger-than-life story, with shocking details that have never been presented before. From her troubled childhood to her time as a young editor at Vogue to her partnership with the cobbler Jimmy Choo, to her very public relationships, Mellon offers an honest and gripping account of the episodes that have made her who she is today.In My Shoes is a definitive book for fashion aficionados, aspiring entrepreneurs, and anyone who loves a juicy true story about sex, drugs, money, power, high heels, and overcoming adversity. This episode is what I learned from reading In My Shoes: A Memoir by Tamara Mellon. -----Ramp gives you everything you need to control spend, watch your costs, and optimize your financial operations —all on a single platform. Make history's greatest entrepreneurs proud by going to Ramp and learning how they can help your business control your costs and save time and money.-----Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book ----Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here. ----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

This episode we talk about the high-heeled rise, fall, and fierce reinvention of designer Tamara Mellon, co-founder of Jimmy Choo, whose resilience redefined what it means to be a woman in luxury fashion—with cultural insight from author Rachelle Bergstein._______Support this podcast with a small donation: Buy Me A CoffeeThis show is powered by branding and design studio  Nice PeopleJoin this podcast and the Patreon community: patreon.com/womendesignersyoushouldknowHave a 1:1 mentor call with Amber Asay: intro.co/amberasay_______Sources / Links:In My Shoes: A Memoir by Tamara MellonTamara Mellon on the Shopify Plus BlogWomen from the Ankle Down: The Story of Shoes and How They Define Us by Rachelle BergsteinTamara Mellon Interview on Inc.Tamara Mellon is a British-American fashion designer and entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of luxury shoe brand Jimmy Choo. A former accessories editor at British Vogue, Mellon played a pivotal role in shaping the brand's aesthetic and global success. She later launched her own label, Tamara Mellon Inc., where she continues to design with a focus on empowering women and disrupting the fashion business model.Rachelle Bergstein is a writer and cultural commentator, best known as the author of Women from the Ankle Down: The Story of Shoes and How They Define Us. Her work explores the intersection of fashion, identity, and culture. With a background in literature and a sharp eye for symbolism in style, Bergstein brings a unique voice to fashion history and its impact on women's lives.Follow Rachelle:Instagram: @rachellewbWebsite: rachellebergstein.com ____View all the visually rich 1-min reels of each woman on IG below:Instagram: Amber AsayInstagram: Women Designers Pod

You cannot be a great business leader without being a great communicator!Serial entrepreneur Jill Layfield is one of the most successful CEO's in the country, and has some very clear ideas of how storytelling aids to her success.Layfield is the CEO of James Michelle Jewelry. She also co-founded, with Jimmy Choo co-founder, the luxury footwear direct-to-consumer brand Tamara Mellon. Before that, Jill was President and CEO of Backcountry-dot-com where she grew the company from $25 million to $515 million in revenue and successfully sold the business for $350 million.Jill is also Lead Independent Director of LivePerson (LPSN) and sits on the board of the Orvis Company.Jill's path to the top of the boardroom was not conventional. Jill did not go to business school. Instead, she leaned on her background in communications to inform a new leadership style and drive direct connections with consumers. She joins me to discuss the art of storytelling, emotional intelligence, and work-life balance.  Contact Alita here. JAMES MICHELLE JEWELRY

When Tamara Mellon wanted to launch into the luxury footwear market, they knew they had to make a statement and inspire excitement among female buyers, so they chose to go experiential. The concept was a rainbow shoe wall national campaign. What was the result, and how did they pull it off quickly? Hear all about it as Laurel Mintz, Founder and CEO at Elevate My Brand discusses the campaign success behind Tamara Mellon's first steps into luxury footwear. Show NotesConnect With: Lauren Mintz: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterThe Rebrand Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterI Hear Everything: IHearEverything.com // LinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode CEO & CCO of Nappy Head Club Rachel Topping shares the inspiration behind co-founding a fashion & lifestyle brand that celebrates blackness. Rachel takes us back for insight into the early days of the building the community and creating a flywheel of people supporting the brand. As a creative, she explains why design is the heartbeat of the brand next to its roots in black hair. Founded in the US, and now stocked in the UK, Rachel reveals her ambitions for welcoming more people in the club. Learn more about Nappy Head Club: https://nappyheadclub.com/About this week's guestRachel Topping is a branding guru from the DMV with a passion for creating safe space and generational wealth for people of color.She has spent her career at the intersection of design, culture, and fashion, having worked with companies like Complex Magazine, AOL, Combs Enterprises and Roc Nation. Before leaving to build Nappy Head Club, she led creative strategy for luxury shoe brand Tamara Mellon, helping to define the brand identity and marketing look and feel. Now, based in Brooklyn, as CEO and CCO of Nappy Head Club, she is dedicated to marrying smart, thoughtful design with a pulse on the culture. Follow on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok @coilscashcultureSign up to our mailing list at www.coilscashculture.com

Inspired by Wolf Larson, Tamara Mellon, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Ram Dass (@babaramdass), and Sokuzon (@sokukoji). Song by East Forest - Prana (@eastforest). Audiobook. Mature listeners only (18+).

When Tamara Mellon wanted to launch into the luxury footwear market, they knew they had to make a statement and inspire excitement among female buyers, so they chose to go experiential. The concept was a rainbow shoe wall national campaign. What was the result, and how did they pull it off quickly? Hear all about it as Laurel Mintz, Founder and CEO at Elevate My Brand discusses the campaign success behind Tamara Mellon's first steps into luxury footwear. Show NotesConnect With: Lauren Mintz: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterThe Rebrand Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterI Hear Everything: IHearEverything.com // LinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tara sits down with fashion icon, Tamara Mellon, co-founder of Jimmy Choo and founder of her eponymous brand, Tamara Mellon. The two discuss how Tamara has managed to diversify and reinvent herself time and time again. And the two explore Tamara's relationship between her lasting devotion to high-quality fashion and her internal dedication to understanding the human mind.Follow Tamara Mellon on Social Media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamaramellon/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tamaramellonbrand/Twitter: https://twitter.com/TamaraMellon-----Visit Tamara Mellon's Website: https://www.tamaramellon.com/-----Follow Dr. Tara on Social Media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtaraswartTwitter: https://twitter.com/TaraSwartLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taraswartTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drtaraswartReinvent Yourself with Dr. Tara is proud to be supported by MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and their Executive Education programs. “MIT: Join us in building a better world.” For more information on MIT Executive Education, including details about Dr. Tara's six-week course, “Neuroscience for Business,” simply visit executive.mit.edu today. An extraordinary first step toward Reinventing Yourself.Reinvent Yourself with Dr. Tara is proudly supported by Emotional Wellbeing by Raffles Hotels & Resorts. A true luxury is not just about what you do, it's about how we make you feel. For more information on Raffles Hotels & Resorts, including details about their curated wellbeing programs, simply visit Raffles.com today.

There have been gigantic industry shifts across different sectors of the fashion, and outdoor spaces, over the last 20 years. Somewhat surprisingly, there are some interesting overlaps between what might be seen as disparate markets, and here to comment on her experiences working in these areas of consumer brand building is the amazing Jill Layfield. Most recently, Jill was the CEO of Tamara Mellon, a position she stepped down from at the end of 2021, and before that she was the CEO of Backcountry for over ten years! Today we have the honor of speaking to Jill about her journey, and what has inspired her biggest career decisions. Jill talks about risks and safety, her connection to the outdoors, the impacts of the pandemic, and so much more. We hear from her about the biggest influences she has encountered and why she feels compelled to carry the torch for more women to lead in the outdoor industry. In a conversation jam-packed with insight and illumination, Jill's warm and personable energy shines through, making this is a truly unmissable episode! Key Points From This Episode:A look at the common thread of consumer brand building throughout Jill's career. Jill's recent departure from Tamara Mellon, and some thoughts on what's next! A little bit about the Tamara Mellon brand and Jill's role at the company. Thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the direct-to-consumer model. Comparing the fashion and outdoor industries and how Jill fit her skill set into each.   Luxury brands and the pandemic; Jill unpacks the surprising resilience of the space. A look back at the period around Jill's big decision to start working at Backcountry.  Jill talks about John Malone, Liberty Media, and their interest in the outdoor industry. Making the transition to CEO; the resources and people that aided Jill along the way.  The mission at Camber and Jill's involvement in their work. Jill talks about how Sally Jewell influenced and inspired her along her journey.  Why Jill sees her parents as heroes and their ethos of balance and hard work. Some of Jill's favorite outdoor destinations around LA! Advice around safety and risk that Jill has found very useful.Four final questions for Jill: her favorite business book, advice for EREM, desert memory, and a call to action! Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Jill Layfield on LinkedInTamara MellonJimmy ChooBackcountryTamara Mellon Easy RiderShutterflyLiberty MediaJohn MaloneBergfreunde OrvisCamberSally JewellREIJohn BreseeBen HorowitzThe AlpinistNoah SchwartzEREMEREM on Instagram

I have a BEAUTIFUL, incredible treat for you today love! Talie Miller is my very special guest this week and she's here to unpack the no-BS, naked truth about personal branding and authenticity. Buckle up babe – this one is a big, deep and exciting ride into the world of brand theory and personal development. You're gonna LOVE it.Californian grown between city and farm life, Talie Miller graduated with a degree in fashion marketing and took on the world thereafter, working with Fortune 500 Brands and celebrity clients until she burned out at the age of 31. Her life as a full-time entrepreneur and influencer for good ensued, and Talie now holds space for branding, human potential and becoming limitless. Her infectious no-fucks-given energy combined with a love of dirt biking, tattoos and travel makes Talie a public figure that you simply can't take your eyes off – she's wildly real, unwaveringly honest and forever evolving both herself and her ideas.Talie is also the owner of We Are The New, a 360 branding agency and creative studio with clients including Nike, FCUK, Ugg and Tamara Mellon.Talie mentors and educates entrepreneurs about branding and also hosts the Raw, Real, Relevant Podcast.Talie and I chatted at length, in depth (and also in a nerdy brand geek way) about:✹ Why people get branding so wrong✹ The meaning of authenticity✹ How your personal brand is not *actually* about you✹ The difference between being ‘raw' and virtue-posting your trauma process✹ Why we all need to parent ourselves better✹ Talie's take on how to love your work and yourselfThank you Talie for sharing your perspective with us so openly and so generously

If you’ve ever wondered why most of your business came from referrals, you should listen to this conversation. This week marketing expert Erik Huberman shares the three areas of marketing that are critical for growth and why we as entrepreneurs get stuck in the hustle finding customers, even if we’re great at what we do. During this conversation we’ll cover how to pare down and strengthen your message, creating a better understanding of your customer relationships, and how to apply solid business strategies to your marketing plan in order to give you the freedom you need to Have it ALL. "People end up cutting things off that could have been successful because they don't understand how to look at a piece of marketing." – Erik Huberman About Erik: Erik Huberman is the founder and CEO of Hawke Media, the fastest growing marketing consultancy in the United States. Launched in 2014, Hawke Media has been valued at $75 million and has grown from seven to over 150 employees in three locations (Los Angeles, New York, and Boston). The company has serviced over 2000 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty, and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless, and Alibaba. Hawke Media has taken home numerous industry awards including inclusion on the Inc. 5000 2020 list of “Fastest Growing Companies”, Fortune Magazine’s “50 Best Workplaces in Southern California” and Huberman was named The International Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year in the field of Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations. As a serial entrepreneur and marketing expert, Huberman is a sought-after thought leader in the world of digital marketing, entrepreneurship, sales and business. Prior to Hawke, he founded, grew and sold two successful ecommerce companies. Huberman is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including Forbes “30Under30,” CSQ “40Under40”, Inc. Magazine’s “Top 25 Marketing Influencers,” and Best in Biz North America’s “Marketing Executive of the Year.” A regular contributor to major publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur and CSQ, Huberman is also a well-known keynote speaker. About The Hawke Method: Ever wonder how the biggest brands in the world make it to the top? Here's a hint: it's more than just a well-placed billboard or a TV ad. According to Erik Huberman, the Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, there's a common framework behind every successful marketing strategy. After helping over 3,000 brands find success through his holistic approach, Erik has distilled the art of marketing into three core elements: awareness, nurturing, and trust. Without all three, the system fails. From fledgling students to seasoned industry veterans, anyone can gain from the shrewd strategies in The Hawke Method. And use them to fly above the competition.  You can buy a copy of The Hawke Method here: https://amzn.to/3IrccE9 Stay focused on the mindset, skills, and habits it takes to Have It All with the following: Take the free Have It All Assessment here: Learn the four pillars of performance by reading my book, The Making of a Maverick Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlohiggins/ Book 15-minute clarity call to see how you can create the roadmap to your own Peaceful Achievement success story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I'm sharing with you where to spend and where to save on clothing and accessories. I'm going to show you how to save money by giving you my fashion tips on spend versus save clothes and which investment pieces are worth the buy. If you want to learn where to splurge and where to save, then keep on listening because this episode is for you. Brands I like for tailoring: Anine Bing, Altuzarra, Alexander McQueen, Toteme, Marc Jacobs, Saint Laurent, Ganni, Frankie Shop, Isabel Marant, Thrifted! Brands I like for Shirting: Charvet, Anine Bing, Jacquemus, JW Anderson x Uniqlo, Sir, Alex Mill, Hommegirls Great sources for secondhand watches: The RealReal, 1stDibs, Vestiaire, Ebay, LXR&Co, Fashionphile, StockX, Chrono24 Brands I like for shoes and boots: Tamara Mellon, Prada, Paris Texas, Doc Martens, Ganni, Anine Bing, Brother Vellies, By Far Other brands I like for fancy shoes: Bottega Veneta, Gianvito Rossi, Aquazzura, Saint Laurent, Miu Miu, Balenciaga Brands I like for multi-purpose dresses: Alexander McQueen, Beaufille, Sid Neigum, Jacquemus, Tove London, Tanya Taylor, Galvan, Richard Quinn, Vintage! Brands I like for suiting: Simonett, Altuzarra, Stella McCartney, Anine Bing, Wardrobe NYC, Christopher John Rogers Indie eyewear I like: Mykita, Dita, Linda Farrow, Krewe, Lexxola, See Eyewear Brands I like for earrings: Isabel Lensee, Oscar de la Renta, JW Anderson, Beaufille, Vintage Activewear brands I like: Mate The Label, Kota, Ganni, Frankie Shop, Anine Bing, Live The Process Sneaker brands I like: Veja, New Balance, Converse Vans, never never never Golden Goose! Find me on social: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moshalundstrom/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@friendinfashion Website: https://www.moshalundstrom.com/ My other work: Therma Kota: https://thermakota.com/ Vogue Contributor: https://www.vogue.com/contributor/mosha-lundstrom-halbert About Me: Hello! My name is Mosha Lundström Halbert and I am a Los-Angeles based multi-disciplinary fashion director, writer, stylist, entrepreneur, and on-air personality. My work spans print, digital, radio, television, and design. I am a contributor to VOGUE.com - I edit the popular Cool Girl's Guide travel series - and I also write for a number of publications, including Cultured, The Toronto Star, and The Business of Fashion. I am a featured fashion expert on the internationally syndicated television show Cityline, and I am also the fashion contributor on CBC's q, an arts and cultural radio program that airs across Canada and the United States. Along with my mother and sister, I am also the co-founder of Therma Kota, an outerwear label inspired by my family's Nordic roots.

This year, we've conducted our best interviews EVER. In this epic roundup episode, we took our favorite moments from every interview this year and combined them to create: Foundr Best of 2021! That's right, in this very special episode, you'll hear valuable insights from:  Marc Randolph, Co-founder of Netflix, where he explains the surprising origins of the streaming giant. Tamara Mellon, Co-founder of Jimmy Choo reveals THE TRUTH around what it takes to build a global luxury label. Matt Pohlson, Co-founder of Omaze, on how his near death experience fuelled his outlook on life and business.   Joe Gebbia, Co-founder of Airbnb, on how they built one of the largest platforms in the world.    Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates on how punching his boss in the face led to the creation of the world's largest hedge fund. Prerna Gupta, Co-founder of Hooked, on how going to #1 on the App store led to some of their biggest challenges in business.   Ann McFerran and Kevin Gould, founders of Glamnetic, on their advice for early-stage founders on doing things that DON'T scale! Tim Draper, Founder of Draper University on how he's shaping the next generation of leaders, and what it takes to become the next Elon Musk or Steve Jobs. Verne Harnish, Author of ‘Scaling Up' tell us about his experience in throwing a party for Steve Jobs, and how it led to the creation of the Entrepreneur's Organization! Alex Hormozi, Co-founder of ‘Acquisition.com', on why providing value is the key to his success- and how he's building his path to $1B. Dany Garcia, Founder of The Garcia Companies, on how she manages her entire empire. Want to build an empire? Then you might want to start studying Dany Garcia- she's co-owner of the XFL , produces blockbuster films with longtime business partner Dwayne Johnson, and recently launched a new fashion brand, GSTQ. Thank you all for such an incredible year- and make sure to leave a review if you got ANY value out of the last 52 episodes. Can't wait to see you all in the new year, for a whole new season of incredible stories, lessons and wins. Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode.   Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine  

About Erik: Erik Huberman is the founder and CEO of Hawke Media, the fastest growing marketing consultancy in the United States. Launched in 2014, Hawke Media has been valued at $75 million and has grown from seven to over 150 employees in three locations (Los Angeles, New York, and Boston). The company has serviced over 2000 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty, and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless, and Alibaba. Hawke Media has taken home numerous industry awards including inclusion on the Inc. 5000 2020 list of “Fastest Growing Companies”, Fortune Magazine's “50 Best Workplaces in Southern California” and Huberman was named The International Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year in the field of Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations. As a serial entrepreneur and marketing expert, Huberman is a sought-after thought leader in the world of digital marketing, entrepreneurship, sales and business. Prior to Hawke, he founded, grew and sold two successful ecommerce companies. Huberman is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including Forbes “30Under30,” CSQ “40Under40”, Inc. Magazine's “Top 25 Marketing Influencers,” and Best in Biz North America's “Marketing Executive of the Year.” A regular contributor to major publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur and CSQ, Huberman is also a well-known keynote speaker. In this episode we discuss: Erik's childhood Becoming an Entrepreneur at 8 Getting into E-Commerce in Middle School Becoming the Top Knife Salesman for Cutco The College Years And much more! Connect with Erik: https://www.erikhuberman.com/ Connect with Jordan: https://jordanjmendoza.com/about-me Check out our Season Sponsors: https://www.byotpodcast.com/sponsors/ Check out our Partners of the Show: https://www.byotpodcast.com/p/partners/ Leave us a 5 Star review!

Joining this episode of The Jake Dunlap Show is third generation serial entrepreneur and marketing expert, Erik Huberman, CEO of Hawke Media. In this episode, Jake goes back in time with Erik as they uncover the steps he's taken to build one of the fastest growing marketing consultancies in the US. As a third-generation entrepreneur, Erik knew the kind of shoes he had to fill but remained steadfast  - knowing deep inside that he had what it took to make it work. Having grown up in an environment that encouraged him to explore, Erik shares about how much of his qualities were attributed to attending a school that allowed its students to march to the beat of their own drum and how this allowed him to possess an early realization for self-awareness. Being naturally competitive, he knew that his main competitor was himself, he recalls his first entrepreneurial experience reselling beanie babies and ended up earning four grand as an eight-year-old. Erik talks about his first job in high school and why he never wanted to work for someone ever again which prompted him to learn to take things as an independent spirit. While earning his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration at the University of Arizona, he set off to find career options starting in a real estate office, then moving to a sales and marketing company, and on to handling/running a start-up - when he graduated he was faced with the question of what he wanted to do in his life. Erik realized two things: that he was good at building businesses from scratch and had a passion for e-commerce brands. Erik shares how things are run differently at Hawke Media and expands on the importance of changing the traditional approach when it comes to marketing brands, making it more client-centric and authentic. He also touches on the subject of overcoming challenges and how the best way to go about it is by facing it head on.Listen to the full podcast and find out more about Erik Huberman's story of perseverance and finding the next best opportunity. QUOTES:On working: “I want to make money because I deserve to make money. Not because someone thinks I deserve to make money.”On working while still in school: “My thought around working in school was I want to go get a job. That's going to teach me something. That's either going to help me figure out what I want to do. Long-term or give me a skill that I can carry with me with whatever I do.”On the importance of word choice: “I think that taught me so much about sales because there's little word choices and nuance and communication are the difference between getting a deal on the spot on the spot. I honestly think through his volatility, I learned a lot of sales skills.”On making career decisions: “At the end of the day, you do have to make the right choice for you.”On his company's purpose: “There's gotta be a solution here that things can be accessible, but also really great meaning like, and so our mission statement to this day is accessibility to great marketing for everyone.”On running businesses: “Shit is going to happen all the time. You run a business, you're always going to be putting out fires.”In facing challenges: “It's like, if that's actually what's coming. What I do right now, doesn't matter. So let's just lean into it and go for it because if it works: awesome. And if it doesn't, we're probably in a lot bigger problems than, oh, I spent some time on my business. It didn't work out.”More about ErikErik Huberman is the CEO and founder of one of the fastest growing marketing consultancies in the US – Hawke Media, a full-service Outsourced CMO based in Los Angeles, CA that provides guidance, planning, and execution for brands, industries, and business models to grow and expand. To date, his company has serviced over 2000 brands, from start-ups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty, and Bottlekeeper, to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless, and Alibaba. Erik is one of the most sought-after thought leaders in the world of digital marketing, sales, and business who's had a successful run of founding, growing, and selling two e-commerce companies prior to establishing Hawke Media. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Arizona. Also known as keynote speaker, Erik is featured in different speaking engagements of all sizes where his distinctive style of storytelling comes into play with the way he shares his unique insights and true-to-life experiences that demonstrate the moral dimension of the corporate world.  He mainly addresses topics on entrepreneurship, personal values, win/win business practices, and e-commerce with authority. He is also recognized as a regular contributor to major publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur and CSQ.Throughout the course of his career, Erik has been the recipient of multiple awards including, Forbes “30Under30,” CSQ “40Under40”, Inc. Magazine's “Top 25 Marketing Influencers,” and Best in Biz North America's “Marketing Executive of the Year.”Find out more about Erik Huberman through the following links:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikhuberman/Website (Personal) - https://www.erikhuberman.com/Website (Hawke) - https://hawkemedia.com/Learn more about Jake Dunlap and Skaled by visiting the links below:Jake Dunlap:Personal Site - http://jakedunlap.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakedunlap/Twitter - https://twitter.com/JakeTDunlapInstagram - http://instagram.com/jake_dunlap_Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JakeTDunlap/Skaled:Website - https://skaled.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/skaledYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsw_03rSlbGQkeLGMGiDf4Q

As someone who always knew they had a passion for fashion, Tamara Mellon has come a long way from working in a PR firm. As founder of luxury shoe brand Jimmy Choo, founder of a new direct-to-consumer brand bearing her own name, and author of In My Shoes, Mellon is a game-changer in the fashion industry.    In this interview, Nathan Chan sits down to speak with one of the most influential figures in the fashion industry to discuss every step of her journey in the fashion industry. Not only has Mellon displayed an uncanny knack for marketing and branding, but she’s also redefined the way we think about shopping.    A must-listen for anyone with a love for fashion, shoes, and disrupting the industry, Mellon gives a refreshingly wholesome insight into the world of entrepreneurialism.   Get FREE, actionable advice from legitimate founders on starting and growing ANY Business… https://www.foundr.com/freetraining And… If you ARE enjoying the Foundr Podcast’, please make sure to leave us a 5-star review, and let us know who you want to see next. Website: http://www.foundr.com Success Stories: https://foundr.com/success-stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundr/ YouTube:  http://bit.ly/2uyvzdt  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/foundr Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/foundr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/ Podcast: http://www.foundr.com/podcast Magazine: http://www.foundr.com/magazine

** This episode is brought to you by ATTN Agency and TryNow. **   In the second part of this feature, Will and Robert Brunner, brothers and co-founders of Devereux, talk about their focus. They want to create a brand that’s affordable, functional, aesthetic, and stylish. They mention that you don’t need to golf every day to wear golf apparel every day. The brothers outline the design considerations when they put together a new piece of apparel. Their business is built around producing clothes that they would personally wear. They keep referring back to their father and how they would dress and draw inspiration from him. After all, Devereux is intended to be a brand that any generation of man would be proud to wear. In part 2, we learn about design considerations, the influence behind Devereux, and what big of a role the co-founders’ father played in the inspiration. Join Ramon Vela, Will, and Robert as they discuss Devereux on The Story of a Brand. For more on Devereux, visit: https://dvrxthreads.com/ * OUR PODCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ATTN Agency. ATTN Agency is a full-funnel growth and performance digital marketing agency with proven strategies to scale and optimize direct-to-consumer brands through tactical media buying, data-driven analysis, and unrivaled creative services. If you are looking back on this year wondering what went wrong or what could have gone better, or if you're starting to put together your game plan for 2021, I have one piece of advice: you need to talk to ATTN Agency. I’ve interviewed several of their clients, and I can say that they are the best in the business. ATTN represents some of the fastest-growing direct-to-consumer brands, delivering month-over-month results. Go to https://www.attnagency.com/storyofabrand/ for a comprehensive, no-obligation, 14 point audit of your social, search, shopping, email, and SMS channels. * This episode is brought to you by TryNow. Do your shoppers love your products once they've had a chance to try them? Is it hard for you to convey the quality of your product digitally? Well, there is a secret strategy that many of the fastest-growing Shopify brands use to get their products in more shoppers' homes. They use TryNow to automate a Try At Home program. With TryNow, 1) shoppers can check out with a zero dollar cart, 2) get items shipped right to their home, and 3) only pay for what they keep. DTC brands like Hammit, Myles Apparel, Solid + Striped, Tamara Mellon, Universal Standard, and Girlfriend Collective... use TryNow to increase conversion rates and average order values. If you want to say to your shoppers, don't trust us, trust our products, then go to https://www.trynow.io/ to learn if a TryNow program is right for you.

** This episode is brought to you by ATTN Agency and TryNow. **   In the first part of this feature, we hear from Will and Robert Brunner, Devereux brothers and co-founders. Devereux is a modern direct-to-consumer golf apparel company that helps you save money without sacrificing quality. Their father was a golfer, and the brothers grew up with respect for the sport. When they later decided to get into the apparel business, golfing was a clear choice. Will and Robert had no previous experience launching an apparel brand, so there were many struggles in the beginning. They outline some of their tactics that they used to get started. Since they didn’t have previous experience, they had a great ability to adapt and grow as the industry shifted. In Part 1, we hear about the struggles of starting a business, building a network, and searching for the right people. Join Ramon Vela, Will, and Robert as they discuss Devereux on The Story of a Brand. For more on Devereux, visit: https://dvrxthreads.com/ * OUR PODCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ATTN Agency. ATTN Agency is a full-funnel growth and performance digital marketing agency with proven strategies to scale and optimize direct-to-consumer brands through tactical media buying, data-driven analysis, and unrivaled creative services. If you are looking back on this year wondering what went wrong or what could have gone better, or if you're starting to put together your game plan for 2021, I have one piece of advice: you need to talk to ATTN Agency. I’ve interviewed several of their clients, and I can say that they are the best in the business. ATTN represents some of the fastest-growing direct-to-consumer brands, delivering month-over-month results. Go to https://www.attnagency.com/storyofabrand/ for a comprehensive, no-obligation, 14 point audit of your social, search, shopping, email, and SMS channels. * This episode is brought to you by TryNow. Do your shoppers love your products once they've had a chance to try them? Is it hard for you to convey the quality of your product digitally? Well, there is a secret strategy that many of the fastest-growing Shopify brands use to get their products in more shoppers' homes. They use TryNow to automate a Try At Home program. With TryNow, 1) shoppers can check out with a zero dollar cart, 2) get items shipped right to their home, and 3) only pay for what they keep. DTC brands like Hammit, Myles Apparel, Solid + Striped, Tamara Mellon, Universal Standard, and Girlfriend Collective... use TryNow to increase conversion rates and average order values. If you want to say to your shoppers, don't trust us, trust our products, then go to https://www.trynow.io/ to learn if a TryNow program is right for you.

** This episode is brought to you by ATTN Agency and TryNow. ** In the second part of this Feature, we sit back down with Ngozi Opara, CEO, and Founder of Heat Free Hair, to talk about her brand. For all women of color who are looking to transition back to their natural hair as damage-free as possible, Ngozi has a solution for you. After starting her journey with help from Facebook and “word of mouth,” Ngozi started to run into obstacles. Nevertheless, after years of hard work, she wasn't going to let some bad publicity stop her. Ngozi breaks boundaries in creating the first company to produce 100% synthetic virgin hair exclusively in natural textures. So tune in to hear Ramon Vela and Ngozi discuss how the Heat Free Hair movement is changing the hair game for women of color. In part 1, Ngozi discusses Changing your hair in a professional environment; The importance of offering wigs of different hair textures; Working for a solution that works; Finding the perfect manufacturers; Adapting to another country’s environment; Committing yourself to work; Working through the “ugly side of the business”; Where to find and buy Heat Free Hair; and much more. For more on Heat Free Hair, visit: https://heatfreehair.com/ * OUR PODCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ATTN Agency. ATTN Agency is a full-funnel growth and performance digital marketing agency with proven strategies to scale and optimize direct to consumer brands through tactical media buying, data-driven analysis, and unrivaled creative services. If you are looking back on this year wondering what went wrong or what could have gone better, or if you're starting to put together your game plan for 2021, I have one piece of advice: you need to talk to ATTN Agency. I’ve interviewed several of their clients, and I can say that they are the best in the business. ATTN represents some of the fastest-growing direct to consumer brands, delivering month over month results. Go to https://www.attnagency.com/storyofabrand/ for a comprehensive, no-obligation, 14 point audit of your social, search, shopping, email, and SMS channels. * This episode is brought to you by TryNow. Do your shoppers love your products once they've had a chance to try them? Is it hard for you to convey the quality of your product digitally? Well, there is a secret strategy that many of the fastest-growing Shopify brands use to get their products in more shoppers' homes. They use TryNow to automate a Try At Home program. With TryNow, 1) shoppers can check out with a zero dollar cart, 2) get items shipped right to their home, and 3) only pay for what they keep. DTC brands like Hammit, Myles Apparel, Solid + Striped, Tamara Mellon, Universal Standard, and Girlfriend Collective... use TryNow to increase conversion rates and average order values. If you want to say to your shoppers, don't trust us, trust our products, then go to https://www.trynow.io/ to learn if a TryNow program is right for you.  

** This episode is brought to you by ATTN Agency and TryNow. ** With Instagram, Twitter, and a world of influencers, the ideal standard of beauty has diversified, but how diverse is it? When it comes to the idea of professionalism, piercings, tattoos, and dyed hair are always criticized through a quote-unquote professional lens. One of the most unspoken criticisms that there are is natural hair. Despite criticisms, making the transition back to natural hair after years of thinning, straightening, styling and perms, is difficult. That’s why in today’s Feature we’re joining forces with Ngozi Opara, CEO and Founder of Heat Free Hair, to join the Heat Free Hair movement to normalize natural hair for women of color. Hair is beautiful; hair is confidence. It’s how you present yourself. Women of color shouldn’t have to damage their hair to meet the standards of other people. Ngozi recognizes this issue and, in turn, created her brand to help women in that journey back to natural hair. For kinky, curly, or coily hair, check out her brand Heat Free Hair for quality extensions to help grow your hair. Join Ramon Vela and Ngozi as they discuss Heat Free Hair on The Story of a Brand. In part 1, Ngozi discusses The hundred-foot overview of Heat Free Hair; Falling into the cosmetology world; Making hair your passion and career; Creating the Heat Free Hair Movement; Finding the right manufacturer; “Are you heat-free yet?"; Working despite opposing headlines; and much more. For more on Heat Free Hair, visit: https://heatfreehair.com/ * OUR PODCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ATTN Agency. ATTN Agency is a full-funnel growth and performance digital marketing agency with proven strategies to scale and optimize direct to consumer brands through tactical media buying, data-driven analysis, and unrivaled creative services. If you are looking back on this year wondering what went wrong or what could have gone better, or if you're starting to put together your game plan for 2021, I have one piece of advice: you need to talk to ATTN Agency. I’ve interviewed several of their clients, and I can say that they are the best in the business. ATTN represents some of the fastest-growing direct to consumer brands, delivering month over month results. Go to https://www.attnagency.com/storyofabrand/ for a comprehensive, no-obligation, 14 point audit of your social, search, shopping, email, and SMS channels. * This episode is brought to you by TryNow. Do your shoppers love your products once they've had a chance to try them? Is it hard for you to convey the quality of your product digitally? Well, there is a secret strategy that many of the fastest-growing Shopify brands use to get their products in more shoppers' homes. They use TryNow to automate a Try At Home program. With TryNow, 1) shoppers can check out with a zero dollar cart, 2) get items shipped right to their home, and 3) only pay for what they keep. DTC brands like Hammit, Myles Apparel, Solid + Striped, Tamara Mellon, Universal Standard, and Girlfriend Collective... use TryNow to increase conversion rates and average order values. If you want to say to your shoppers, don't trust us, trust our products, then go to https://www.trynow.io/ to learn if a TryNow program is right for you.

*Starts at 7:05*Erik Huberman is the founder and CEO of Hawke Media, the fastest growing marketing consultancy in the United States. Launched in 2014, Hawke Media has been valued at $75 million and has grown from seven to over 150 employees in three locations (Los Angeles, New York, and Boston). The company has serviced over 2000 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Hawke Media has taken home numerous industry awards including inclusion on the Inc. 5000 2020 list of “Fastest Growing Companies”, Fortune Magazine’s “50 Best Workplaces in Southern California” and Huberman was named The International Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year in the field of Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations.As a serial entrepreneur and marketing expert, Huberman is a sought-after thought leader in the world of digital marketing, entrepreneurship, sales and business. Prior to Hawke, he founded, grew and sold two successful ecommerce companies. Huberman is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including Forbes “30Under30,” CSQ "40Under40", Inc. Magazine’s “Top 25 Marketing Influencers,” and Best in Biz North America’s “Marketing Executive of the Year.” A regular contributor to major publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur and CSQ, Huberman is also a well-known keynote speaker.

*Starts at 7:05* Erik Huberman is the founder and CEO of Hawke Media, the fastest growing marketing consultancy in the United States. Launched in 2014, Hawke Media has been valued at $75 million and has grown from seven to over 150 employees in three locations (Los Angeles, New York, and Boston). The company has serviced over 2000 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Hawke Media has taken home numerous industry awards including inclusion on the Inc. 5000 2020 list of “Fastest Growing Companies”, Fortune Magazine's “50 Best Workplaces in Southern California” and Huberman was named The International Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year in the field of Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations. As a serial entrepreneur and marketing expert, Huberman is a sought-after thought leader in the world of digital marketing, entrepreneurship, sales and business. Prior to Hawke, he founded, grew and sold two successful ecommerce companies. Huberman is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including Forbes “30Under30,” CSQ "40Under40", Inc. Magazine's “Top 25 Marketing Influencers,” and Best in Biz North America's “Marketing Executive of the Year.” A regular contributor to major publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur and CSQ, Huberman is also a well-known keynote speaker.

It doesn’t matter how great your product is if no one knows it exists. That’s why marketing matters. But not every company has the resources to go all out on a big-name CMO or to commit a large yearly budget to specific marketing efforts — especially when the digital world is changing so quickly. So what’s an ecommerce brand to do in order to get its message across to the right people?Erik Huberman founded Hawke Media to answer that question, and for more than seven years he and his team have been making marketing more accessible to businesses of all shapes, sizes and stages. On the episode of Up Next in Commerce, Erik explains how companies should be planning their marketing budgets and what the revenue threshold is that companies need to aim for before they can even think about scaling. Plus, he digs into his entrepreneurial and investor roots to give some advice to those out there who are just getting started, including the hard truth about what it means to be an entrepreneur, and some tips on new and emerging platforms where you can grow your personal and professional brands. (And yes, we are talking about Clubhouse!)Main Takeaways:Same Problems, Different Speeds: Even the biggest brands in the world face the same key struggles as the new start-up making waves: access to talent. The difference is the speed at which the companies at both ends of the spectrum can move. With more decision-makers involved and more stakeholders to answer to, bigger companies have to be more methodical and intentional about who they bring in to help, whereas smaller companies can make decisions fast, but there is more volatility with every choice. Join The Club: New platforms like Clubhouse are on the rise, and finding a way to capitalize on them is the biggest challenge currently facing businesses competing for market share. Listen in to hear Erik and Stephanie dive into the Clubhouse wormhole and the opportunities that await.I Get So Emotional: Marketing is about eliciting emotion from the person you’re selling to, whether it is B2B or B2C. By establishing an emotional connection and presenting a value proposition that a buyer can clearly see as a solution to a problem, a level of trust is created that will lead to a long-lasting relationship.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---Transcript:Stephanie:Hey, everyone. Welcome back to Up Next In Commerce. This is your host, Stephanie Postles, Co-Founder at Mission.org. Today, on the show, we have Erik Huberman, the Founder and CEO at Hawke Media. Erik, welcome to the show.Erik:Thanks for having me.Stephanie:I am excited to have you on. I was just chatting up a bit before telling you how we are actually a client of Hawke Media, full disclosure to anyone listening. It's been amazing. But I would love it if you could go through what is Hawke Media for anyone who doesn't know?Erik:Yeah, sure. We're an outsourced CMO and marketing team to companies. So, what that means is we basically go into companies, identify what the holes are in their marketing, organization, or strategy. And then we can spin up different experts on an ala carte month-to-month basis, whether it's a Facebook marketer, an email marketer, a fractional CMO, et cetera. We've got about almost 200 full time people. We manage marketing for about 500 different companies from small startups to Fortune 100.Erik:Our mission, for lack of a better word, is to create accessibility to great marketing. So, the idea is we really saw that it was really hard to, for most companies, get access to great marketers. We wanted to make a place where we had amazing marketers, amazing talent, people that were top of their game, but it was super easy to work with them. That was a challenge we saw on the market that didn't exist, a solution didn't exist. That's how we got started.Stephanie:That's awesome. Yeah, it's been really fun. We did the CMO thing first. It was cool, because you do get access to people who have been CMOs at big companies before and they have all this expertise. But we had them for three months. And then they transitioned us on to the next stage of implementation of social and other things. It was just really fun to be able to have access to talent like that without actually having to hire them as an FTE or something.Erik:Yeah, that's exactly the model. I came from building and selling a couple ecommerce companies and just wish this existed. My last ecommerce company, we were heavily funded. So, I had a 10-person marketing team of talented people, but they all worked or they could have all worked half time or less and gotten what I needed to be done. So, we had toyed with the idea of, "Could we hire these guys out to other companies? Because they're a great team, but we don't need them all full time. But we need all their expertise." So, that's part of where it came from, the idea was born.Stephanie:Okay, cool. What ecommerce companies did you have before this?Erik:I had a company called Fame Wizard first, which was online music business coaching for musicians. Then a company called Swag of the Month. It was a T-shirt subscription company, long before Dollar Shave and all that. And then an activewear brand called Ellie that's still around, the E-L-L-I-E.Stephanie:That's awesome. So, what things did you learn at those companies that maybe you brought either to Hawke Media or to how you're maybe advising brands today?Erik:Yeah, really quick bullet points. Fame Wizard have a customer that has money. Having independent artists as your customer is really hard to build a business off of. Swag of the Month, the need for working capital and financing, which funny enough, we just launched our financing and working capital arm of Hawke Media a couple months ago. And then the third one, Ellie, don't overcomplicate it. If it's working, double down on it. Also, that I don't like having other people make decisions for me, because that's when I was working with a committee and I was not the main decision maker. They screwed up a lot.Stephanie:I like that you have bullet points. You're like, "I already got it covered. I already know."Erik:Yeah. I've definitely walked away with very specific, "Don't do that again."Stephanie:Yup. Yeah, that's great. So, are you able to share some brands that you work with? So, we can get the scope of who-Erik:Yeah.Stephanie:... that you guys are learning from and working with right now and teaching.Erik:Yeah, I mean, it's the full scale in terms of small startups, most people haven't heard of, and hopefully, we change that. Tamara Mellon, we started with it when they were a tiny business and skyrocketed them for a couple years. GREATS, the sneaker company, we built for three years with them and they sold to private equity. Incase, the phone case, until they sold to Incipio. It's ironic. We get a lot of companies to scale and then we get fired, but it's par for the course.Erik:And then we also work with big brands, Nike, Unilever, Estee Lauder, Red Bull, et cetera, as well. And then a lot of small brands that don't necessarily want to be the next big VC-backed company that are $3-, $4-, $5-, $10-million companies while we're working with them. That's what they want to be. They slowly grow and run a lifestyle business that pays them a couple million bucks a year and do great.Stephanie:Yup. Do you see the big brands having the same type of struggles as the smaller ones, or is it very separate where you have to put very different skill sets depending on the company size?Erik:No, the expertise are similar and the struggle is similar in the sense of access to talent is really one of the biggest... True knowledgeable, experienced talent is what everyone's struggling with. The way we have to operate is different, because when you're dealing with a small business, a lot of times you're dealing with the owner, CEO. They can do whatever they want. There's no one they're reporting to, even if they have investors who usually have control. When you're dealing with bigger companies, you're dealing with publicly traded companies, a lot more processes, a lot more checkboxes, a lot longer time to make decisions. So, it's a lot slower. So, that's why I look at our client base like a distributed portfolio.Erik:The startups are super fun, because you can do whatever you want, you can get going quickly, et cetera. But they're also super volatile on the other end, where they'll fire you overnight for one small thing. Whereas big companies, they take forever to sign, take forever to make changes, but they also stick with you forever. So, we've worked with a lot of these bigger companies for years and years and years, because they're used to signing three-, four-, five-year contracts, even if we are month to month.Stephanie:That's good. So, what are some challenges you're hearing right now around either marketing challenges or business challenges that you guys are tackling that's maybe different than what you were hearing in 2020 or 2019?Erik:Yeah, I mean, 2020 was all COVID, but the silver lining was the market share of spending online almost over doubled. So, our clients on average doubled their revenue on what we were operating for them. So, that was really good. What we saw what changed towards the later end of the year and now into this year, so, now that market share hasn't diminished that much. Instead of 13% of consumer spending, being online pre-COVID, it went up to 30. Now, I think it's at 27%. So, it's still massive increase.Erik:So, we are seeing that now, all the big CPG companies and all these bigger companies that back to the point can't make quick decisions, unless the world's falling apart, cut everything. They usually do that and then they slowly roll back. They're all really coming back strong into digital, because they're seeing so much more market share there. So, what happened was the cost to advertise on Facebook and Google during Q2 and part of Q3 dropped about 30%, because there was less competition on it. Q4, October and November were insane, October because of the election and then November, holidays hit. December, they carry over a little bit, but they do lessen.Erik:And then I think now, I am anticipating advertising continuing to get more costly, because now, again, 13% of these big companies marketing online is now 27, they're going to spend more to capture that market, which means you're going to compete with them. So, if you're a small or medium business competing, there's a good chance that cost to advertise online increases significantly. So, not necessary what companies are looking for but what they should be is ways to increase their ownership of their customers, because if it costs you more to get a customer, the way to combat that is to increase your lifetime value to a customer. It's a math equation. It's that simple.Erik:So, how do you do that? You find ways to increase your lifetime through merchandising, through retention, through customer experience. When I say merchandising, having other products and services you can sell to the same customer. There's just a lot of things you can do, and then just continuing the communication like email marketing, SMS, chatbots, ongoing content, just all the ways you can create a walled garden around your existing customer base for them to buy more from you. The companies are going to win, which is why you see Amazon just skyrocketing. They were a book company at one point. Now, they sell you anything.Stephanie:Yeah, I love The Everything Store talking about how he and his wife are going and dropping off books to try and ship them out. That was a good book for anyone who hasn't read it yet. So, I mean, I'm thinking about myself as a smaller company right now. We're talking about ad costs are going up. It's going to be harder to compete against bigger brands. If you haven't acquired those customers yet and you don't have anyone to talk to, it seems like there's definitely an opportunity to be more strategic of finding new channels, whether it's the TikToks of the world or the Clubhouse.Stephanie:Shout out to Hillary, you just got me onto Clubhouse. But it feels like there's a bunch of new channels popping up that could help democratize community building a bit more or yeah, finding your audience in different channels that bigger brands maybe won't hop on as quickly.Erik:That's funny. I just got accused of being addicted to Clubhouse. So, my wife has actually had to say, "When we're eating, put that thing away." It's just the past week, but that platform is taking off. Yeah, it's always about working for diversifying. The problem is Facebook and Google still perform so much better than these other platforms that they need to catch up. TikTok will absolutely compete as they build out their ad platform.Erik:I think it's a no brainer in the way that the platform's built, but they need to do a better job of their targeting and everything, which when I say that, no one's spamming. It's just too early. Snapchat seems to be getting their legs under on Twitter. Hopefully, we'll figure it out. Stephanie:Yup, yup. I agree. Are there any new places that maybe are lesser known, where you're like, "We're trying out this one little thing in the back alley here that no one else knows about"?Erik:I mean, your know about Clubhouse. Clubhouse doesn't plan on monetizing through advertising, but as a community builder, it's crazy. I've been on it one week. I've 11,000 followers. I'm not an influencer. Twitter, I have a bunch of followers, but that's unusual for me.Stephanie:What are you doing on Clubhouse then? Because I get on there, and I'm like, "Hi." For anyone who can't see this, my awkward waving in Zoom. I don't know what I'm doing on there.Erik:Yeah, I've been fortunate enough to spend the past decade building a pretty solid network. So, when I got on there, a bunch of my friends were the people on stage that people want to hear from. So, guys like Daymond John and Lewis Howes and [inaudible] were all pulling me up to talk with them. And then other guys, like Grant Cardone, who I never knew before this now, start pulling me around with them. So, it's been a week, but all of a sudden, I've connected with a bunch of these heavy hitters that I've never knew before, that now we're also jumping on calls offline and connecting. So, for me, basically, I was on two flights a week almost in 2019. So, I spent most of my time traveling to shows and conferences and meeting people. This is scratching that itch.Erik:So, for the people that really want to network and build that network and learn from other people, this is the perfect platform for someone like me. It's not for everyone. So, I've gotten on stage. I've talked a lot. I mean, there's millions of people on it. Thankfully, I've been very lucky to build what I've built. A lot of them are looking for advice on how to build their businesses. So, now at this point, this is my fifth business I built. We've bootstrapped it. I've invested in, I think, 30 other companies. I've had a few exits, had some successes there. So, a lot of times, I can give some quick guidance to someone on there. So, I've done a lot of that, which has been fun.Stephanie:Yeah. So, since no one else has talked about this, this is why I'm diving even deeper into this. So, someone that can listen and be like, "Okay, I'm going to try that out too," are you speaking on there when you're saying you're on stage? Are you getting invited from someone? Are you just creating a room yourself? Tell me a bit about how that's working.Erik:Yeah. So, I mean, just to recap the platform, basically, it's super simple. All you see is a person's headshot, their little icon. It's all voice. So, you just talk. So, there's the stage and then there's the audience. Whoever's on stage can talk and you can mute your mic and talk. You got as many people on stage as you want, like a panel, and then anyone can come in and listen. So, as mentioned before we started this, I like to talk. So, me sitting in a room and talking and I've been in rooms with 20 people on stage, 30 people on stage, where I chime in once every 30 minutes.Erik:A lot of the habits that are starting to come on there are just people rotating on the stage asking questions of the panelists and just doing Q&A for hours, but it's people asking about, "How do I build my business? I'm struggling with this. What do I do here?" And then what I've seen is a lot of altruism, which has been fun. I've opened up my direct messages on Instagram through that. So, it's like, "If anyone needs help, just hit me up." So, making connections to VCs, to funding, to whoever could be a good distributor or a partner, give them advice, trying to help people.Erik:What I've seen also is a lot of people that aren't in L.A., New York, Austin, or Silicon Valley, that don't have access to these networks are all of a sudden... There was a whole world of amazing entrepreneurs I didn't even know until I got on this thing. It's a lot of the BIPOC community is getting on there and really helping each other. Not that I am one of them, I tried to help and very passionate about diversity and inclusion. So, we do a lot of charity work around bridging the opportunity gap. So, I've seen this as an amazing tool for that, because there's so many people that don't have access to... I've grown up around entrepreneurs. My dad's successful frankly. I grew up around people that have started businesses. I had a pretty easy path of role models.Erik:Most of these people don't or a lot of these people don't and that are coming from inner cities, et cetera. They are now on this. I do get pinged maybe 100 times a day actually on that thing, asking to be their mentor. I'm like, "You don't have to make anything official here. What can I help with? Let me answer your questions," that kind of stuff. So, that's been super rewarding, but I do see this as we're all stuck at home right now, where you are means nothing.Erik:So, this is a way for everyone to be connecting. But without having to be on video, it also makes a lot more people comfortable having a conversation. With voice, people are not as rude, demeaning. Social media has a problem on the tech side. We all know it, where it's like when you can just text whatever you want... We deal with it all the time with clients. If we have an angry client and we're on email, we'll get hate mail. Then I pick up the phone and call them and they're like, "Hey, how are you?" It's like, "What?" Same thing, I really think there's something there.Erik:The curiosity I have is as a social media platform... I'm sorry, this is all going to Clubhouse. But just as a social media platform, on Facebook, you might spend 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes at a time scrolling through Facebook. Clubhouse, I'm watching people spend 12 straight hours in a day. I've never seen a social platform that people just zoom in and go. So, I'm really curious what that turns into. I think they'll end up monetizing by adding tips to panels, so you can actually tip the panelists or paid speakers, I think that's what we're going to see. Because they said they want to make money for their content creators, and they don't plan on adding ads.Erik:So, I think that's going to be interesting. But for brands to answer your question, I think for personal brands, it's massive. You're a CEO or whoever you are, building your brand on there and starting to talk. I mean, we had a channel the other day, where it was a bunch of beauty entrepreneurs from the south, bunch of women that had built beauty brands bringing up young beauty brands to talk to them. There were women coming on stage to talk about their brand and then going, "I've made $300 in the past two months on my website. The audience just bought $7,000 worth of items."Stephanie:Wow.Erik:That's happening. It's an eight-month old platform, but really got popularity two weeks ago. So, it's interesting to see where that can go.Stephanie:Yeah, I mean, that makes sense, especially around the theme too of, I mean, bigger brands too leaning into becoming their own media companies and getting on there and leading not just from their brand perspective but being thought leaders. Their brand is behind the scenes. If you offer value, someone won't mind if it's coming from someone at a large company that's like, "Well, sounds so smart. So, I'm sure they work at whatever big company that is," but they're the one on there offering the best tips.Erik:Yup. That's the other thing is there's no BS-ing it. When you talk enough, people are going to know whether you know what you're talking about or not. I've seen it. The rest of the two people on the stage are like, "Wait, what?" People call each other out, because I think people feel responsible, including myself. The audience is taking this advice. I jumped into a panel yesterday that was talking about Bitcoin. Some guys said, "There's absolutely no risk in investing in Bitcoin. You just put as much money as you can." I was like, "Hold on for a fucking second. Excuse me." Yeah, so there's that too.Erik:And then I do think there's a whole community and personal aspects that were like 21 Savage is one of the biggest followed people on. He does DJ sets every night with Sir Mix-a-Lot and all sorts of other people. It's not just business. There is a lot of other fun conversations. Overheard LA did a whole thing where they were saying, "What's the weirdest story you've had in COVID around dating?" There's comedy shows. There's all sorts of fun stuff.Stephanie:Yeah, that's awesome. So, when you're on there giving tips to businesses and people who are trying to learn, what are the top questions that you're asked or what things do you talk about that resonate most with business owners?Erik:So everybody wants funding. These are all early, early businesses. Everybody goes, "How do I get funding? How do I get a grant or a loan or funding?" If you need money to get started, that's a bad sign. Don't get me wrong. There's high tech companies and certain companies that you can't get around it. But most of the initial funding for businesses comes from friends and family if you need it. If you need a heavy amount of funding and it's not something high tech, you have to be real if you're the right person to start that business. That's one. There's a lot of people that pitch for that while starting with the hardships story, something that's like, "This is what I'm struggling with." I've noticed that it doesn't get the reaction you'd hoped for.Erik:Compassion is a big thing. I think for help, people do, but if you lead with that to try to get someone to be part of you in business, it shows the wrong focus. It's not to diminish what people are going through. A lot of people have had a really hard time recently and in general, but I do notice that when you lead with that versus excitement and optimism, you're going to attract a lot more people with optimism.Stephanie:That's a good one. Yeah, I've definitely seen a lot of people who come with the story where you're like, "I should feel bad, but also as a businessperson who maybe is either going to invest or partner with you, we'd be in this together. I need to know that you have another reason to want to push this forward. It's not just this." So, that's a good point. All right, give me more.Erik:The COVID excuse, I'm not very nice about this one, but I have too many friends that have done well in spite of COVID. Not because they got lucky. Someone came on the other night as like, "I've launched my ecommerce company last a year ago, but because of COVID, we've had a really hard time." It was like, "Take a beat. Because of COVID, your ecommerce company has had a tough time." We just went over the stats of ecommerce. I was like, "Explain that." It wasn't ecommerce. It was the person couldn't get out of their way. So, that's generally the advice I end up giving to, because again, there's a lot of people trying to get started. It's just go.Erik:My biggest learning in entrepreneurship in general is no one's that smart. It's just people that went for it and got lucky. I really believe that, including myself. I don't think that I'm not impressive. I think I went for it. I timed it right, meaning I got lucky. Meaning, because of the way the world worked, I knew about ecommerce right when the world wanted to build all the ecommerce and I was one of the only free agents in LA with a reputation of being successful. So, that's a big one.Erik:So, with COVID, I have a friend that owns 20 gyms across Canada that got shut down overnight, done. He's been doing it for 20 years. He three days later decided to launch a virtual training platform and has done millions in revenue in 2020 as a gym owner and was able to keep his entire staff, pivot, not lose money, and now have a whole new revenue stream that when things do reopen, he's got both.Erik:So, I have a friend that owns a chain of restaurants in L.A. He's not thriving, but his businesses are all still open. He's making money. He's made a living. There's ways to operate that you can actually get through this. I watch some of our clients, ecommerce brands. They're like, "Cut everything." I'm like, "What do you mean cut everything? The numbers are good. I get that the news is scary, but you're doing well. Do not cut." The companies that cut, I don't know if any of them recovered, the companies that I know that cut with us. And then we had a whole bunch of other companies that stuck with us, our average client in Q2 doubled their revenue.Erik:So, interesting if you think about what happened in Q2 of 2020. So, yeah, getting back to it, the biggest one is like don't give yourself excuses, go for it. That's a lot of what we're talking about. And then we get into sometimes deeper marketing conversations like, "What do I do to get started in marketing? If I don't have a budget yet, where should I spend my money? Should I run Facebook ads right away?", those kind of questions.Stephanie:Yeah, I love that. It reminds me too of doing things in haste, there's a good quote. That was around investing, but it's like the person who's scrambling to themselves when the news sounds bad or something, they're never the ones who do well or find a good ROI. I thought I'd be the person sitting and waiting most times and play the long game, instead of reacting to the news or quickly stopping or starting something really quickly. It's probably never that necessary to jump on something.Erik:Correct. You have to give yourself that luxury, so to speak. So, what I learned myself out of this was I'm keeping more money in the bank going forward, so that I can take a beat. Even if I see my business losing money, I can go, "Deep breath. What's the right long term plan here?" Not just react because I got to stay in business tomorrow. That's where a lot of businesses got stuck is we're in such a great economy. People are just spending all their money on growth. All of a sudden, it cut off. So, you have no money in the bank, that can be a bad situation.Stephanie:Yeah, I agree. So, you're talking about many of them don't have budgets and they're trying to start marketing or launched an ecommerce shop or something. How would you go about that? Because I used to read quite a few books that talked about scrappy ways to do it, whether it was just putting up a landing page and then maybe linking to products, reselling them. There's so many things that we've been taught when it comes to being scrappy and starting something without having to invest money, but how would you do it now in 2021?Erik:Yeah. Everybody loves to throw around the MVP model, minimum viable product. The problem with it is people go to minimal and not viable. Meaning, you make a product that gets out there, but it's not really viable. It's not really what somebody's going to buy from. It's a landing page that sends you to a site that says you can check out but you can't or whatever it is. People think that just getting up and running is good. You got to commit.Erik:If you're just getting started, keep the day job, make money along the way. If you can't work a day job, then you get started on midnights and weekends, you're not going to be a good entrepreneur, because welcome to entrepreneurial life. So, that's actually a good way to get used to it in my opinion.Erik:Also, it never happens as fast as you want it to or almost never. So, it buys you time. You're not under some ultimatum that if this doesn't work in six months, I can go back to work. It's like well, just give yourself as much time as you need. Switch over when it can support your lifestyle. So, to get started, I mean, there's a few ways. If you're trying to launch a new product, you might need to put in 10, 20, 30, 50 grand to get started. That's actually a thing. That's where the friends and family come in if you're launching a new shoe line or something, but start small. Sell out. It's okay. Meaning, sell your product, not sell out as a jab or anything. It's okay to have a small run in the beginning.Erik:And then in terms of marketing, I've really honed in on this focus, actually, through a lot of answering these questions on Clubhouse is where we invest our investment threshold and where we like to look at companies is 20 grand a month in revenue. Because honestly, that's when you've been able to get over the scrappy period and you started to build a sustainable business. Still small, but there's something there. That's traction to us. To me, it's like get to that point without spending too much money.Erik:Partnerships, get someone that has your audience that you're trying to reach and find a way to make them talk about you to their audience. That could be press. That could be influencers. That could be other brands that collaborate with you. That could be many different ways. But start there, start building that organic reach groups. If you're selling shoes, not in COVID, but in general, sell them out of your trunk. Don't make it so it just has to be through your website either.Erik:My view is focus on one thing, and don't narrow yourself in other ways. The idea of being direct consumer and not opening up every other distribution channel for your brand is crazy to me. Go omni-channel, open up retail, open up everything else, and build a model that makes sense for all of those, and then see where the least path of resistance is. Maybe Nordstrom decides you got the coolest sneaker ever and you get a $5-million order. You're able to ask the right people, so you can protect yourself, because a lot of those big box will return the entire order when they don't put it on the shelves.Stephanie:Oh, wow.Erik:So, there's ways of that-Stephanie:[inaudible 00:25:50].Erik:That's why retail is hard. Walmart, they charge you for the products that don't sell and send it back to you. So, you got to be careful on those agreements and what you take on, but listen, it can also set you up for the rest of your life getting a deal like that. So, open it up to do all those things and be scrappy about it. Instead of throwing other people's money and trying to grow and hoping it works, find ways to make money right away. As someone that has bootstrapped a business and owns it with my partner, but the two of us, it's awesome. We tell our team all the time, "Anything you want to do, we can do it. Just ask." We're not reporting to anyone. We don't have people on our board or investors that we have to report to that are going, "I don't agree. I'm worried about the risk of my money." Not all investors do that, but some do. So, yeah, if you can keep ownership, it's a lot of fun. It's stressful at times too, because there's no one else backing me up. It all falls on you. But once you get through those hardships and get used to that challenge, because it never ends, it actually becomes pretty fun.Stephanie:Yeah, yeah, that's definitely my viewpoint on investors too. Unless they're very strategic, they're going to open up a network for you. They're going to give you something that you can't get otherwise. If you're just going after money, you probably needed to look elsewhere. I mean, my friends and family, not so much. I would have never been able to raise any money from them properly. But, thinking about it more strategically, instead of just, "Here's some dollars," because we had a guest on the show, who I forget who they were.Stephanie:Maybe Hillary can remind me in our prep doc here, but they're talking about how they built their company based off a Kickstarter Indiegogo type of thing, because they had this whole quote that was, "Don't rely on friends and family." Because if that's how you think you're going to fund your product, you're already going to fail. Account for them to maybe only be 3% of what you need or something like that. Only 3% of your product will be bought from them. The rest, you need to go out and form those email newsletters. Find your audience elsewhere, or else, there's no point in you trying if that's your only goal.Erik:Yeah, I would say that with smart money, which I agree with, if you're going to take money, take smart money that knows what they're doing and can help you. But a lot of times you can get that help without even taking their money. That's the other part. There's an anecdote about call someone for advice and they'll give you money. Call someone for money and they'll give you advice. So, if you want connections, most people that have been successful, most not all, but most are really willing to pay it forward, I've noticed. They want to help. They can't help everyone, but when you catch them at the right time... And then for anybody, it's a game of numbers. If you're looking for help, reach out to as many people as possible. Someone's going to say yes.Stephanie:Yup, I agree. So, the one area that we sometimes neglect on this show is B2B commerce, because of course, everyone's focused on B2C. But I saw that you put out a list of tips for B2B ecommerce companies. I was hoping you could walk through, what are you guys seeing for B2B companies? Do you work with B2B companies? How are you advising and marketing for them right now?Erik:Yeah, I mean, in the nutshell, B2B marketing is actually very similar to B2C, except for the end goal with B2C is a transaction. B2B generally is to drive a qualified lead, but you're still marketing to an individual. That's the part that I think people really forget. When I'm marketing to B2B, I'm not marketing to a business. I'm marketing to the decision maker at that business. So, it's still a person. So, instead of marketing to someone that likes dogs and biking, I'm marketing to someone that has this title at this type of company, who's a marketing manager at a Fortune 500, whatever it is. So, it's just a different targeting methodology.Erik:And then the way you position the company is still value proposition. You still want to get an emotional reaction. That doesn't mean like go crazy with it. So, don't take that too verbatim, but people justify emotion with logic. So, if you can hit the emotional reptilian side of the brain and get with any type of marketing and get them to feel like you're going to do something for them, that's the best way to get someone. So, Hawke Media is all B2B obviously. We don't use it that much now, but we're about to ramp it back up. Have you seen our commercial with the lemonade stand?Stephanie:No.Erik:Super fun. We filmed this less than a year into business, I think. I sat with my business partner. Again, we're marketing to business owners. That was our main target. They were like, "What do people like?" I'm like, "Puppies and kids." It was just when GoDaddy got banned from the Super Bowl for putting a puppy mill as a joke commercial. I was like, "No, let's not do that. So, let's go with kids." So, we basically created the commercial about a bunch of kids in a really corporate office.Erik:But when I say kids, eight, nine year old's running around, skateboarding, throwing paper airplanes, freaking out. The owner, this little blonde girl going like, "I can't take this. Who's handling our Facebook ads? Who's doing this?", and just freaking out. And then we come in and we got you. I was in the commercial too. We explained that. It shows them at the end, a bunch of kids making it rain with cash and dancing and having fun.Stephanie:That's cute.Erik:It was fun. It got people's attention, but the whole point was, "We got you. I know you're freaking out, but we're not and we got you." That's how it came off. That emotional connection, even though we're talking about B2B, which you'd think is super logical. How much do you cost? How much money you're going to make me? No. Why people hire us, the logic reason is bandwidth's our expertise. The emotional reason is, "Please someone just handle this. I don't know what's going on here. I just want to grow and I need someone to take it off my plate," or "I don't know what I'm doing." We need someone to just come in calmly and help us.Erik:Understanding that in B2B is super important, because then everything you do with positioning yourself is like, "We're here. We got you. We know what we're doing." You can sleep easy at night is our positioning. Now, you change that. And then how you execute on that, same channels, Facebook, search, email marketing, press, all the things we use for our clients, creating your own content is the stuff we use for ourselves.Erik:I'd say any marketing is aspirational. Not meaning I aspire to be like something great, but more like, "I'm currently at this state, and I want to be here." It's as simple as my socks have holes in them. I want comfortable socks and you go buy socks. This aspiration doesn't have to be something groundbreaking. So, understanding that you need to position yourself as that aspiration, the solution to getting the person from where they are to where they want to be, no matter what you're selling, B2C, B2B, is the most important part.Stephanie:That's really good. Yeah, I mean, I think about the ads to B2B and they're so lame. A lot of times, they make things so corporate. It's like, "I'm pretty sure any corporate citizen will not want to watch another corporate style ad." They want something new and different and love to just connect with the person. Even if it's a title that you're connecting with, there's someone behind that title. If you wouldn't like it, they probably won't either.Erik:Yes, exactly. That's been the awesome thing about Hawke and its marketing specifically is I'm the customer, literally, who would be buying from us. That's why I created it. So, I get to make things that I didn't want to see. You just nailed it. I hate the boring, stodgy, men and women in suits. We've been trusted for 25 years. Who cares? That's not why I'm hiring you.Stephanie:It's like the stock photography, where you go on there. It's like all these people in offices and business suits. I'm like, "Who's buying this stock photography? This is horrible."Erik:My favorite, I used it again recently. So, that's why it reminded me. Remember that photo shoot they did with the baboon doing stock photos in an office. I just found it. My brother-in-law asked me what I was up to this weekend, I sent him the baboon banging on the keyboard. I'm like, "Just working." That was a great shoot. That was so perfect. Yet so many people did not get the point of that, which is this is ridiculous. Why are we taking office stock photos?Stephanie:Yeah, yeah, that's funny, but I mean, a lot of people use them for a while. I guess it worked for probably a solid week, and then everyone realized it's not working anymore.Erik:No, no, a lot of people still use the office photos. Listen, that's not going to be the only driver of your business. You don't have to be perfect in marketing. If you have a good product or service, marketing helps, but it's not critical. So, a lot of people get away with really bad marketing and still have a really good business.Stephanie:Yeah, the one theme that I've heard from quite a few people on the show is that the organic videos and natural things are all performing way better than stock photography or anything that seems like it was built out of the box. Are you seeing that as well?Erik:It depends. It depends on what type of product it is. If it's a product that needs a lot of trust, you need production value. Meaning, a supplement or something that people are looking to solve a problem. They don't want to see that you threw something together. If it's like fashion or lifestyle products that people aren't really worried, you can get away with that a lot more.Stephanie:Yeah, I like that. So, one other thing, I don't know how much do you guys experiment with TV, because I was listening to a good episode. I forgot what podcast it was, but I think it was Gary Vaynerchuk, where he was essentially saying, "All TV is dead except for Super Bowl ads." That's the only ads that actually work. Every other TV commercial, they don't work anymore. They're dead.Erik:Gary's a friend and I think he has nailed what he's doing. He's a super bright guy, but I think a lot of times, he speaks in hyperbola. Nobody ever gets held to these big grandiose claims. I called a friend out for claiming that Bitcoin will be at 50 grand by Sunday. And then Sunday came around, I screenshot it and I sent it back. I'm like, "What the hell, man?" He's like, "Whatever, it'll happen in the next month." It's a habit that a lot of people got into, making these giant claims. I'll be real, TV does work. You got to buy it, right? Yeah, we do some TV, some radio. It's not a big part of our business. I'm not trying to hype it up.Erik:But once you have an amazing funnel and you really know who your customer is and you're really good at nurturing leads... Meaning, not just letting them come to your site and hopefully, they buy, but capturing email, capturing their phone number to text them and follow up and really nursing them. Again, you know your audience and you know your messaging. So, you know how to attract your audience and get them to buy. TV is still one of the cheapest places to get a 30-second impression from a massive audience. So, both TV and radio are still very viable options as you scale, but you can do a lot of digital before you have to go there.Stephanie:Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I agree. We had one of our podcasts aired on radio. They took it and turned into a one-hour special for Veterans Day. It's called The Story. Some people were like, "Radio is dead. Why would you want radio?" I'm like, "Do you know how many people still listen to radio?" Actually, it's still very legit if you can get on radio. I mean, it's huge.Erik:Most people are sitting in their car. They're not going anywhere. They're not changing the station either, because, frankly, there's not that many options. You can get a lot of people that are doing nothing. The hard part is to get them to remember things, but it works. We've had a lot of luck, especially event sales. When we're doing big events like TED and stuff like that and trying to sell tickets, DutyCon was a good one, radio works really well.Stephanie:Yup. Yeah, like you said, getting that CTA, where it's not something that's distracting or they crash, but seriously, going by what I just talked about.Erik:Yeah, exactly.Stephanie:All right, only couple minutes left. Let's move over to the lightning round. The lightning round is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. This is where I'm going to ask you a question and you have a minute or less to answer. Are you ready?Erik:I'm ready.Stephanie:All right. What's up next on your podcast list?Erik:Who is or what?Stephanie:Either, who or what? What are you listening to?Erik:Oh, well, we have our own. So, who would be Rachel Zoe.Stephanie:You have her coming up?Erik:Yeah, we've worked with her for years. She's awesome. Yeah, so that's the next one. And then after that is Rob Dyrdek, I think. I want to get more into How I Built This. He's awesome. I just think that that's always an interesting story. My podcast is more about their life story. His is really about how they built their company. So, I like the life story too. My podcast was I wish someone did this. So, I'm just going to do it and hit up cool people and find out how they got where they are. Yeah, so my podcast is Hawke Talk.Stephanie:Awesome. Yeah, I will be checking it out. What's up next on your reading list?Erik:Whatever my business partner assigns me. I am not a voracious reader, and my partner is. So, he's decided-Stephanie:He assigns it to you?Erik:He's decided as of last month that he's going to give the executive team including me a book a month that he wants us to read and be on the same page on. I'm all about it, because I don't have any motivation on my own to really do it. I'll pick up a book now and then probably a couple a year. Most of the time, I end up listening to it on Audible. I'll buy the book. I buy all my friends' books. My wife rolls her eyes every time. I got to support, but I don't read any of them. Sorry, guys. We're coming out with our own book towards the end of the year called The Hawke Method. It's how we grow companies, basically.Stephanie:That's awesome. I love that. What one thing do you not understand today that you wish you did?Erik:I wish I understood the public markets more. I've put money in it now and started to try to learn it, but I've surface level things I understand. But when we started getting into derivatives and the complicated side of finance, I'm still not completely clear. I've also shied away in some ways, but I think when you overcomplicate it, it's too complicated for everyone. That's when we get into the housing crisis and things like that, but I also would love to understand it so that I can call bullshit on it sometimes, because I realized in my entire career, no one's that smart. If it's complicated, it's probably a problem.Stephanie:Yup, that's a good one. What favorite piece of tech are you enjoying right now? It can be new or something you've used for a long time. It can be an app or anything.Erik:Yeah, I will say the one that surprised me the most is the Oculus, because I've been a naysayer of VR. I'm like, "VR is too isolating. It's stupid, blah, blah, blah." But once I got one and I ended up helping an organization called YPO do an event with Oculus and got one, and I'm like, "Oh, wow, no, this is interesting." There's actually something to VR and the experience you can have. Most people can only use it for 45 minutes at a time, but I think it's really cool. I think there's something coming down the pike with that that I think will be really cool.Stephanie:Yup, yeah, we wrote a 2021 Trends Report. That was something I'm keeping an eye on is how to use that when it comes to not only following influencers, but shopping from feeds and watching live events, but also being able to get it while watching it and stuff. I think there's a little work to be done, like you said. I know a lot of people especially myself still get dizzy and not feeling very good after, for me, 10 minutes, but it seems like once that gets a bit better, there's a lot of opportunity, especially for ecommerce companies if they can figure out how to make it an event and something fun that people want to attend.Stephanie:Plus, also, it's like The Container Store in Netflix series. You want to buy with the Netflix series ad, even though they don't really slap you over the head with Container Store stuff, but you're like, "But I need that specific box to put my scarves in."Erik:Yes, exactly. No, I think that's exactly it is. The business model needs to be fixed around the content for VR, because it's just not good enough yet to track enough content and things to do. But once that turns into a much more prolific platform, I think that you'll see it hockey stick quick.Stephanie:Yup. All right, last one, what is the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?Erik:Oh, I have to think of a nice thing, because I feel like if I'm going to say the nicest, it's going to be...Stephanie:Or you can say the meanest too. You're like, "Oh, this person was really mean to me."Erik:I had a business partner that really screwed me up, but I don't need to give it any credence. Not my term.Stephanie:Nicest then.Erik:I'm trying to think of nicest. I mean, the fortunate thing is many, many people have done a lot of nice things for me. A lot of people taking bets on me before I had any reason to deserve them. My parents were always great to me. My wife's great to me. I'm surrounded by people that do nice things for me. So, I will say a nice thing that stands out that I never give enough credence to is when I graduated college, I went into real estate a week before the whole banking industry collapsed. I made $350 that year.Erik:Six months in, a friend of mine's dad called me. I was a guitarist growing up. My drummer in my band's dad called me and said, "Hey, I've been watching you. You seem to be like a young, aspiring entrepreneur. I like your grind and your spirit here. I want to help people like my son, who is still pursuing music, figure out how to do the business side of things. So, they can actually at least make a living being a musician. I think there's a thing we could do here." I spent a couple months putting a business plan together, showed it to him. He not quite disappeared but went MIA for three months.Erik:Called me July of 2009 and said, "Hey, I'm putting in a quarter million dollars. I think I can raise this another $750,000. You're going to run it. Let's go." That became my first online company. So, that guy put in his own quarter million dollars, got his friends to put in $750,000 million invested in an online music company in 2009. And then put me in charge of it, gave me 5% of the company and paid me minimum wage, which I was grinding.Erik:It was a bet. Don't be wrong. It could have really worked out for him, but I also think of that as that guy set me up as an entrepreneur in a lot of ways too. I don't know what I would have been doing without that opportunity. I'd probably still have grinded through real estate unless something else popped up for something. That put me into digital. That did a lot of things for me. I'm still in touch with them, but that was a big one.Stephanie:That's a good story. I'm glad I asked. Yeah, that's really good. Cool. Well, Erik, this has been a very fun interview. I want to bring you back for another round in the future to hear how 2021 is going. Where can people find out more about you and Hawke Media?Erik:Definitely, Clubhouse.Stephanie:I'll see you there.Erik:Yeah, [erikhuberman on any social platform's fine. And then Hawke Media, if you ever want to reach out, is just hawkemedia.com. We do free consultations. Always happy to help.Stephanie:Cool. All right. Thanks so much for joining us.Erik:Yeah. Thanks for having me.

In today’s episode of The Story of a Brand, we sit back down with Dan Demsky, co-founder of Unbound Merino. Unbound Merino is a high-performance appeal brand that utilizes premium merino wool material. In the previous episode, we talked about the pros of wearing merino wool; lightweight regulates your temperature and never wrinkles. In this episode, we delve into Dan’s journey into building the brand and creating Unbound Merino. Not only do we hear about his inspiration leading him to the idea, but we get an insight into what it took to keep the dream live. As Dan recalls, “it made sense to me... I need these people to support me. I need this momentum. So what else would I be doing? … I could have played video games, read comic books, I could have got a 12 pack of beer, ate some pizza, and watched Netflix. No, I wanted to make this thing work. So you do the work.” Listen in as Ramon Vela, and Dan Demsky discuss what it means to keep up that entrepreneurial momentum on The Story of a Brand. In part 1, Dan discusses Unbound Merino’s marketing strategy; The upsides of crowdfunding; Reaching out to everyone you know to build momentum; Creating the perfect campaign; COVID Impacts on a travel apparel brand; Delving into the different products; and much more. For more on Unbound Merino, visit: https://unboundmerino.com/   *   OUR PODCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ATTN Agency. ATTN Agency is a full-funnel growth and performance digital marketing agency with proven strategies to scale and optimize direct to consumer brands through tactical media buying, data-driven analysis, and unrivaled creative services. If you are looking back on this year wondering what went wrong or what could have gone better, or if you're starting to put together your game plan for 2021, I have one piece of advice: you need to talk to ATTN Agency. I’ve interviewed several of their clients, and I can say that they are the best in the business. ATTN represents some of the fastest-growing direct to consumer brands, delivering month over month results. Go to https://www.attnagency.com/storyofabrand/ for a comprehensive, no-obligation, 14 point audit of your social, search, shopping, email, and SMS channels. * This episode is brought to you by TryNow. Do your shoppers love your products once they've had a chance to try them? Is it hard for you to convey the quality of your product digitally? Well, there is a secret strategy that many of the fastest-growing Shopify brands use to get their products in more shoppers' homes. They use TryNow to automate a Try At Home program. With TryNow, 1) shoppers can check out with a zero dollar cart, 2) get items shipped right to their home, and 3) only pay for what they keep. DTC brands like Hammit, Myles Apparel, Solid + Striped, Tamara Mellon, Universal Standard, and Girlfriend Collective... use TryNow to increase conversion rates and average order values. If you want to say to your shoppers, don't trust us, trust our products, then go to https://www.trynow.io/ to learn if a TryNow program is right for you.

In the first part of this Feature, we interview Dan Demsky, co-Founder of Unbound Merino. Unbound Merino is a versatile, high performance & sustainable clothing line for men and women made from Merino wool. Merino wool comes from the merino sheep in Australia. The secret in “nature’s miracle fabric” is that it holds the capabilities to insulate heat when it’s cold and breathe comfortably when it’s warm. It’s also naturally antibacterial and moisture-wicking, which means less washing with clothes that stay dry, clean, and fresh. This makes it the perfect material to bring in your carry on to maximize your travel wardrobe or wear for everyday use. Listen in as we talk to co-founder Dan Demsky, as he tells us how he turned merino wool into a travel apparel brand. In part 1, Dan discusses Dan’s mentor experience; The Hundred-Foot Overview of Unbound Merino; Nature’s miracle fabric; How merino wool works; Crowdfunding your project; Utilizing the next travel hack; and much more. Join Ramon Vela and Dan as they discuss Unbound Merino on The Story of a Brand. For more on Unbound Merino, visit: https://unboundmerino.com/ * OUR PODCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ATTN Agency. ATTN Agency is a full-funnel growth and performance digital marketing agency with proven strategies to scale and optimize direct to consumer brands through tactical media buying, data-driven analysis, and unrivaled creative services. If you are looking back on this year wondering what went wrong or what could have gone better, or if you're starting to put together your game plan for 2021, I have one piece of advice: you need to talk to ATTN Agency. I’ve interviewed several of their clients, and I can say that they are the best in the business. ATTN represents some of the fastest-growing direct to consumer brands, delivering month over month results. Go to https://www.attnagency.com/storyofabrand/ for a comprehensive, no-obligation, 14 point audit of your social, search, shopping, email, and SMS channels. * This episode is brought to you by TryNow. Do your shoppers love your products once they've had a chance to try them? Is it hard for you to convey the quality of your product digitally? Well, there is a secret strategy that many of the fastest-growing Shopify brands use to get their products in more shoppers' homes. They use TryNow to automate a Try At Home program. With TryNow, 1) shoppers can check out with a zero dollar cart, 2) get items shipped right to their home, and 3) only pay for what they keep. DTC brands like Hammit, Myles Apparel, Solid + Striped, Tamara Mellon, Universal Standard, and Girlfriend Collective... use TryNow to increase conversion rates and average order values. If you want to say to your shoppers, don't trust us, trust our products, then go to https://www.trynow.io/ to learn if a TryNow program is right for you.

In part 2 of our Feature, we sit back down with the Co-founder and CEO of Justuno, Eric Christiansen. In our last conversation, we covered Eric’s hero’s journey into creating Justuno.    In today’s episode, we’re talking about the keys to building and maintaining a successful brand. As Eric explains in the show, there are so many variables in starting a company that sometimes you forget about the “basics of the shopping experience.”    With small adjustments such as installing new ways to communicate to your customers, Justuno helps you become familiar with the marketing strategies that work best for you.    With Justuno, Eric and his team are here to ease your way around e-commerce marketing so you could continue building your dream brand. Tune in today as we talk about the value of Justuno.    In part 2, Erik discusses Engaging with your customers during their shopping experience; Shopping your own site; Using communication as a turning point; The advantage of having a DTC brand; The value of Justuno; Being thankful for the team; and much more.   Join Ramon Vela and Erik to discuss Justuno on The Story of a Brand.   For more on Justuno, visit: https://www.justuno.com/ramon/   *   OUR ENTIRE PODCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ATTN Agency.    ATTN Agency is a full-funnel growth and performance digital marketing agency with proven strategies to scale and optimize direct to consumer brands through tactical media buying, data-driven analysis, and unrivaled creative services.   If you are looking back on this year wondering what went wrong or what could have gone better, or if you're starting to put together your game plan for 2021, I have one piece of advice: you need to talk to ATTN Agency.   I’ve interviewed several of their clients, and I can say that they are the best in the business. ATTN represents some of the fastest-growing direct to consumer brands, delivering month over month results.   Go to https://www.attnagency.com/storyofabrand/ for a comprehensive, no-obligation, 14 point audit of your social, search, shopping, email, and SMS channels.   *   This episode is brought to you by TryNow.   Do your shoppers love your products once they've had a chance to try them? Is it hard for you to convey the quality of your product digitally?    Well, there is a secret strategy that many of the fastest-growing Shopify brands use to get their products in more shoppers' homes.   They use TryNow to automate a Try At Home program.    With TryNow, 1) shoppers can check out with a zero dollar cart, 2) get items shipped right to their home, and 3) only pay for what they keep.    DTC brands like Hammit, Myles Apparel, Solid + Striped, Tamara Mellon, Universal Standard, and Girlfriend Collective... use TryNow to increase conversion rates and average order values.    If you want to say to your shoppers, don't trust us, trust our products, then go to https://www.trynow.io/ to learn if a TryNow program is right for you.

In today’s episode of Story of a Brand, we’re talking to Erik Christiansen, CEO & Co-Founder, about his Hero’s journey into starting and growing Justuno.   Starting off at a snowboarding company, Erik noticed the impact that building an online community would have in starting a brand. Although his first company didn’t make it, he took this knowledge to enter the next part of his journey.    Along with his buddy, Travis Logan, the two started Justuno which is a conversion optimization platform. As Erik mentions, Justuno was created to perfect the last mile and help “get that customer across the finish line.”   With Justuno, companies could use their software to stay creative with their marketing strategy and keep their customers engaged. Listen in as Erik gives us the inside scoop.    In part 1, Erik discusses The Hundred-Foot overview of JustUno; Working on the last mile - Getting your customer over the finish line; Erik’s Hero’s Journey to creating JustUno; Creating an online community; Depending on your support system; Engaging with your customers during their shopping experience; and much more.   Join Ramon Vela and Erik as they discuss Justuno on The Story of a Brand.   For more on Justuno, visit: https://www.justuno.com/   *   OUR ENTIRE PODCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ATTN Agency.    ATTN Agency is a full-funnel growth and performance digital marketing agency with proven strategies to scale and optimize direct to consumer brands through tactical media buying, data-driven analysis, and unrivaled creative services.   If you are looking back on this year wondering what went wrong or what could have gone better, or if you're starting to put together your game plan for 2021, I have one piece of advice: you need to talk to ATTN Agency.   I’ve interviewed several of their clients, and I can say that they are the best in the business. ATTN represents some of the fastest-growing direct to consumer brands, delivering month over month results.   Go to https://www.attnagency.com/storyofabrand/ for a comprehensive, no-obligation, 14 point audit of your social, search, shopping, email, and SMS channels.   *   This episode is brought to you by TryNow.   Do your shoppers love your products once they've had a chance to try them? Is it hard for you to convey the quality of your product digitally?    Well, there is a secret strategy that many of the fastest-growing Shopify brands use to get their products in more shoppers' homes.   They use TryNow to automate a Try At Home program.    With TryNow, 1) shoppers can check out with a zero dollar cart, 2) get items shipped right to their home, and 3) only pay for what they keep.    DTC brands like Hammit, Myles Apparel, Solid + Striped, Tamara Mellon, Universal Standard, and Girlfriend Collective... use TryNow to increase conversion rates and average order values.    If you want to say to your shoppers, don't trust us, trust our products then go to https://www.trynow.io/ to learn if a TryNow program is right for you.

Who wants to feel more spiritually alive + plugged into your life?  In this extra special masterclass, I am honored to join Cathy on Made To Do This. Cathy is the host of the popular podcast Don't Keep Your Day Job, which was given the #1 spot on iTunes's recommend list of shows for the New Year in 2018 and 2019. Each week Cathy encourages thousands and thousands of listeners to find more purpose in their life and get paid to do what they love full time. She started out as a singer songwriter and first found success licensing her music to TV, Film and Ads. Quickly she became a standout in her field and was featured in magazines like Billboard, Variety and the LA Weekly.After making a multi six figure living with her music, Cathy started a music agency and then she began teaching other artists to grow their own careers.Two weeks after her third daughter was born, she started her top ranked podcast. Cathy's show has been featured in HuffPost, the NY Times and Inc Magazine's "top 9 podcasts" and has been downloaded over 5 million times. She's been featured several times by Apple themselves and the fans are resonating with how genuine she is.Throughout the show, she has interviewed creative entrepreneurs like actress Jenna Fischer, popular blogger Seth Godin, designer Jonathan Adler, make-up artist Bobbi Brown, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, fashionista Tamara Mellon, novelist Emily Giffin, and Gretchen Rubin to name a few. When she's not teaching or interviewing amazing guests for her podcast, you can find Cathy playing with her three little girls, writing her book, songwriting for tv shows and commercials, or enjoying a moment with friends.Cathy often says "purpose is the opposite of depression" and she is truly lifting others to be the happiest version of themselves. We have an in-depth conversation about how to take your life head-on, one dream at a time. There is no metric for the exponential growth that happens in each of our hearts; The most powerful metric we have is people showing up and how our clients look in the mirror each morning.  Plus, we speak about the ways to overcome a victim mindset. Tune in as we talk about getting our message out globally, why we need to challenge our money mindset, and my favorite ways to show up for clients. In this Episode You'll Learn:  A little about… ME!  [ 4:00 ] How we can overcome our victim mindset [ 26:55 ] The steps to take to get our messages out in the world [ 39:10 ] Why we need to challenge our money mindset [ 47:40 ] The importance of acknowledging our fears [ 53:05 ] My favorite way to show up for clients  [ 63:55 ] How we can define our niche over time  [ 73:00 ] The ways to get clear on what our ideal client wants [ 76:00 ] About the stories of our soul sisters in the masterclass [ 80:20 ]   Soul Shifting Quotes:  “Fill our bodies with light + love.” “Change the course of history for yourself and for your family.” “You are brand YOU.” “Branding is an opportunity to be who we really are.” “Live a more YOU life.” Links Mentioned:  Learn my 7 Secrets to Uplevel Your Brand & Land Your Dream Clients  Grab your FREE training, How to Call in Your Tribe + Create Content that Converts  Text me at 603-931-4386 Learn more about Cathy by following her on Instagram or heading to https://www.cathyheller.com Get Master Your Money Mind Find It Didn't Start With You Tag me in your big shifts + takeaways: @amberlilyestrom  Did you hear something you loved here today?! Leave a Review + Subscribe via iTunes  Listen on Spotify 

Luxury shoe brand Tamara Mellon opened a store in Soho a month before lockdown. "Great timing," company CEO Jill Layfield joked on the Glossy Podcast. But one effort that's stood the test of time better than a brick-and-mortar shop is the company's truck: a shoe closet on wheels that greets customers at the Covid-conscious rate of one at a time. The 24-foot "TM Closet" has made stops in more than a dozen cities across the country. Tamara Mellon launched in 2016 as what Layfield describes as the only "true luxury designer footwear brand that's direct to-consumer," Since then, after a Series C last year, it has raised $87 million. DTC now accounts for an outsized portion of its revenue. Co-founder and namesake Tamara Mellon said the fashion industry, as a whole, has been overdue for a shakeup. "As Marc Andreessen said, 'Every business will eventually be eaten by digital,'" Mellon said. "I felt like the business model needed to change, and the way people talked and spoke to their customers needed to change. So that's how we came up with doing direct-to-consumer."

Erik Huberman is the founder and CEO of Hawke Media - The fastest growing marketing consultancy in the United States. Launched in 2014, Hawke Media has been valued at $75 million and has grown from seven to over 150 employees in three locations (Los Angeles, New York, and Boston). The company has serviced over 2000 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Hawke Media has taken home numerous industry awards including inclusion on the Inc. 5000 2020 list of “Fastest Growing Companies”, Fortune Magazine’s “50 Best Workplaces in Southern California” and Huberman was named The International Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year in the field of Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations. As a serial entrepreneur and marketing expert, Huberman is a sought-after thought leader in the world of digital marketing, entrepreneurship, sales and business. Prior to Hawke, he founded, grew and sold two successful ecommerce companies. Huberman is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including Forbes “30Under30,” CSQ "40Under40", Inc. Magazine’s “Top 25 Marketing Influencers,” and Best in Biz North America’s “Marketing Executive of the Year.” A regular contributor to major publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur and CSQ, Huberman is also a well-known keynote speaker.

Dianna Cohen is the founder of Crown Affair, a revolutionary haircare brand that launched less than a year ago — pre-Covid — and was met with almost instant commercial and editorial success. This fact will come as no surprise to you when you hear about Dianna's impressive resume, including her being part of Forbes' 30 under 30, class of 2019. She is a graduate of unicorn start-ups Into the Gloss (a little beauty brand better known today as Glossier); Spring, the e-commerce mobile app and Tamara Mellon; in addition to having consulted with Away, Harry's, Outdoor Voices, The Wing, and more. Host Eva Hartling spoke with Dianna about what it means to be part of that generation of young women who are breaking the glass ceiling and showing us what is achievable with a strong vision, confidence and a close connection to your audience. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!————Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com //TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business //Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

Chris Bennett is the Co-Founder & CEO of Wonderschool. Wonderschool’s mission is to ensure every child has access to early education that helps them realize their potential. Wonderschool programs are diverse in structure and approach, but they all combine engaged teachers, thoughtful education design, and the warmth of an in-home program. So far, Wonderschool has helped thousands of parents find quality in-home care, and our network is growing every day. Wonderschool is hiring! https://angel.co/wonderschools About Our Partner This episode is brought to you by Hawke Media. Hawke Media is a full-service Outsourced CMO based in Santa Monica, CA, providing guidance, planning, and execution to grow brands of all sizes, industries, and business models. Hawke Media was recognized by Inc. as the country’s fastest-growing marketing consultancy and is proudly one of Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work”​, 2019 #893 on the Forbes 5000 list, UpCity Top Los Angeles Digital Marketing Agency. Hawke’s collaborative process, à la carte offering, and month-to-month fee structure give clients the flexibility they need to boost digital revenues and marketing ROI. Hawke Media The company has serviced over 1500 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Listen to our interview with Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, in episode 23 of the Just Go Grind Podcast. Some of the Topics Covered by Chris Bennett in this Episode What Wonderschool does and how it got started What Chris learned from the early days of building Wonderschool starting with the first program they started How long it took to go from idea to their first enrollment The founding team of Wonderschool How Chris thought about growth for Wonderschool in the early days How people find out about Wonderschool today What goes into ensuring the quality of the teachers at Wonderschool Geographic growth for Wonderschool The fundraising process and getting top investors involved Going through 500 Startups Understanding the culture and expectation around raising each round of funding Chris's experience raising a Series A round of funding The approach Chris takes to hiring The Wonderschool business model The impact COVID had on Wonderschool Working with a coach, what it entails, and why Chris started writing a lot Sign up for The Weekly Grind, for actionable insights and stories from successful entrepreneurs delivered to your inbox once per week: https://www.justgogrind.com/newsletter/ Listen to all episodes of the Just Go Grind Podcast: https://www.justgogrind.com/podcast/ Follow Justin Gordon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/justingordon212 Follow Justin Gordon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/

Today on Rise of The Young, we sit down with Erik Huberman. Erik is the founder and CEO of Hawke Media, the fastest growing marketing consultancy in the United States. Launched in 2014, Hawke Media has been valued at $75 million and has grown from seven to over 150 employees in three locations (Los Angeles, New York, and Boston). The company has serviced over 2000 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty, and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless, and Alibaba. Hawke Media has taken home numerous industry awards including inclusion on the Inc. 5000 2020 list of “Fastest Growing Companies”, Fortune Magazine’s “50 Best Workplaces in Southern California” and Huberman was named The International Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year in the field of Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations. Follow Erik here: https://www.instagram.com/erikhuberman/ Follow Hawke Media here: https://instagram.com/hawkemedia?igshid=qtwdfuljseo2 Check out Casey's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDja3sNwZqEMgrn2rBHE44g

Amit Mishra is the Co-Founder and CEO of iMocha, a company providing AI-powered digital skills assessments. iMocha enables tech hiring managers and learning and development professionals with the ready-to-use, latest, and most comprehensive online skills assessment solution, offering 2000+ skills tests. About Our Partner This episode is also brought to you by Hawke Media. Hawke Media is a full-service Outsourced CMO based in Santa Monica, CA, providing guidance, planning, and execution to grow brands of all sizes, industries, and business models. Hawke Media was recognized by Inc. as the country’s fastest-growing marketing consultancy and is proudly one of Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work”​, 2019 #893 on the Forbes 5000 list, UpCity Top Los Angeles Digital Marketing Agency. Hawke’s collaborative process, à la carte offering, and month-to-month fee structure give clients the flexibility they need to boost digital revenues and marketing ROI. Hawke Media The company has serviced over 1500 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Listen to our interview with Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, in episode 23 of the Just Go Grind Podcast. Some of the Topics Covered by Amit Mishra in this Episode What iMocha does, how it got started, and some aspects of their customer discovery What the product looked like in the early days of iMocha Going from $500/year ACV to $30K/year ACV How Amit was acquiring customers in the early years for iMocha Amit's experience in the Microsoft Accelerator Going from $15K MRR to $200K+ MRR The importance of focusing on the right customer segment and use case How increasing pricing helped the business grow Building the 60+ person team at iMocha The land and expand strategy Why Amit raised $600K in 2020 How Amit looks at using content to grow revenue for iMocha Rebranding from Interview Mocha to iMocha How iMocha's live coding platform came about 6 months early How Amit and his team are choosing which skills to focus on The path for iMocha to $50M ARR in 5 years Amit's experience as an entrepreneur so far Amit's advice for other entrepreneurs Sign up for The Weekly Grind, for actionable insights and stories from successful entrepreneurs delivered to your inbox once per week: https://www.justgogrind.com/newsletter/ Listen to all episodes of the Just Go Grind Podcast: https://www.justgogrind.com/podcast/ Follow Justin Gordon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/justingordon212 Follow Justin Gordon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/

Harsh Vathsangam is the Co-Founder and CEO of Moving Analytics, Inc. ( https://www.movinganalytics.com/ ) He is driven by a passion for taking technological solutions and applying them to benefit people's lives. He received his PhD from the University of Southern California working at the intersection of big data and mobile health. He holds an undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Harsh is also one of the inventors of iGest, an alternative communication device for children with cerebral palsy and winner of the NASCOMM award for social innovation.  Moving Analytics provides Movn - a virtual cardiac rehabilitation service that patients can do from the comfort of their home. They work with over 25 health systems and several payers to increase access to rehab. Movn is based on over 5 randomized clinical trials and clinical validation on over 70,000 patients showing equivalency to current standards of care. Contact Harsh if you want to implement virtual cardiac rehab in your organization! www.movinganalytics.com About Our Partners This episode is also brought to you by Hawke Media. Hawke Media ( https://hawkemedia.com/ ) is a full-service Outsourced CMO based in Santa Monica, CA, providing guidance, planning, and execution to grow brands of all sizes, industries, and business models. Hawke Media was recognized by Inc. as the country’s fastest-growing marketing consultancy and is proudly one of Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work”​, 2019 #893 on the Forbes 5000 list, UpCity Top Los Angeles Digital Marketing Agency. Hawke’s collaborative process, à la carte offering, and month-to-month fee structure give clients the flexibility they need to boost digital revenues and marketing ROI. Hawke Media The company has serviced over 1500 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Listen to our interview with Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, in episode 23 of the Just Go Grind Podcast. Some of the Topics Covered by Harsh Vathsangam in this Episode What Moving Analytics does and what the experience with patients entails How Moving Analytics got started Questions Harsh asked early on with potential customers How Harsh got his first customers for Moving Analytics Harsh's fundraising experience for Moving Analytics and what he would've done differently How Harsh approached equity splits with his Co-Founders Building rapport with investors What fueled the growth of Moving Analytics the past few years Managing cash-flow as a startup How Harsh has built his team of experts at Moving Analytics Delegation and how Harsh approaches this How Harsh invests in himself as a CEO Impactful books in Harsh's journey as an entrepreneur How Harsh recharges outside of work Sign up for The Weekly Grind, for actionable insights and stories from successful entrepreneurs delivered to your inbox once per week: https://www.justgogrind.com/newsletter/ Listen to all episodes of the Just Go Grind Podcast: https://www.justgogrind.com/podcast/ Follow Justin Gordon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/justingordon212 Follow Justin Gordon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/

Tyler Hayes is CEO of Atom Limbs, the world's first mind-controlled bionic arm. Tyler was previously Co-Founder of Bebo (acq. Amazon) and Executive Producer of Minka which won Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Short at the FFF. About Our Partner This episode is also brought to you by Hawke Media. Hawke Media is a full-service Outsourced CMO based in Santa Monica, CA, providing guidance, planning, and execution to grow brands of all sizes, industries, and business models. Hawke Media was recognized by Inc. as the country’s fastest-growing marketing consultancy and is proudly one of Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work”​, 2019 #893 on the Forbes 5000 list, UpCity Top Los Angeles Digital Marketing Agency. Hawke’s collaborative process, à la carte offering, and month-to-month fee structure give clients the flexibility they need to boost digital revenues and marketing ROI. Hawke Media The company has serviced over 1500 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Listen to our interview with Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, in episode 23 of the Just Go Grind Podcast. Some of the Topics Covered by Tyler Hayes in this Episode What Atom Limbs is doing today How Tyler started Atom Limbs and why he wants to end death The progress DARPA How Tyler built a world-class team for Atom Limbs Why Tyler decided to build in stealth initially Raising capital through crowdfunding with Wefunder The marketing behind Atom Limbs and a crowdfunding campaign more broadly How Tyler and his team are going about putting Atom Limbs into full production The tech transfer process from Johns Hopkins to Atom Limbs Thoughts on monetization for frontier tech How Tyler thinks through about pricing for Atom Limbs The products that Atom Limbs are developing and they're capable of Where most of Tyler's time is spent now with Atom Limbs Some of Tyler's favorite books The importance of finding "your people" Sign up for The Weekly Grind, for actionable insights and stories from successful entrepreneurs delivered to your inbox once per week: https://www.justgogrind.com/newsletter/ Listen to all episodes of the Just Go Grind Podcast: https://www.justgogrind.com/podcast/ Follow Justin Gordon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/justingordon212 Follow Justin Gordon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/

Greg Spillane is the CEO of Fancy ( https://fancy.com/ ) a curated online retailer that provides a platform for consumers looking to discover the coolest and most innovative fashion, accessories, art, and gadgets from emerging brands and artists across the globe. About Our Partner This episode is also brought to you by Hawke Media. Hawke Media is a full-service Outsourced CMO based in Santa Monica, CA, providing guidance, planning, and execution to grow brands of all sizes, industries, and business models. Hawke Media was recognized by Inc. as the country’s fastest-growing marketing consultancy and is proudly one of Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work”​, 2019 #893 on the Forbes 5000 list, UpCity Top Los Angeles Digital Marketing Agency. Hawke’s collaborative process, à la carte offering, and month-to-month fee structure give clients the flexibility they need to boost digital revenues and marketing ROI. Hawke Media The company has serviced over 1500 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Listen to our interview with Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, in episode 23 of the Just Go Grind Podcast. Some of the Topics Covered by Greg Spillane in this Episode What Fancy is, when it was started, and how Greg got involved Why Greg decided to join Fancy after it went through turmoil What Greg did initially to start turning Fancy around The business model behind Fancy and what the experience is for brands on the platform How Fancy goes about curating brands for their platform The importance of creating trust on the buyer side of a platform How content and storytelling play a role in selling products on Fancy Building community and bringing on guest curators for the platform How Greg decided to use crowdfunding to raise capital for Fancy and the benefits that came along with it Why Greg and Fancy chose to use Wefunder for their crowdfunding campaign Components involved in an equity crowdfunding campaign The customer acquisition strategy for Fancy The traction of Fancy today How Greg and his team improved conversions on Fancy How Greg has gone about building the team and culture at Fancy What Greg does to invest in himself and make sure he's performing at his best each day Books that have been helpful for Greg in his career Why Greg decided to get an MBA at USC Sign up for The Weekly Grind, for actionable insights and stories from successful entrepreneurs delivered to your inbox once per week: https://www.justgogrind.com/newsletter/ Listen to all episodes of the Just Go Grind Podcast: https://www.justgogrind.com/podcast/ Follow Justin Gordon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/justingordon212 Follow Justin Gordon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/

Ruben Harris is the Co-Founder & CEO of Career Karma ( https://careerkarma.com/ ). Career Karma is a community of peers, mentors, and coaches that will help you land a dream career in Tech. You never pay a dime. The only cost is to help people behind you. Career Karma is always free for students because after they coach you to prepare and get enrolled in a bootcamp in their network, the school pays them a placement fee for helping you. Here are some cool investors that have joined them: Michael Seibel (CEO of Y Combinator), Betsy Ziegler (CEO of 1871), Jewel Burks (CEO of PartPic), Arlan Hamilton (Backstage Capital), Unshackled Ventures, Paul Judge (Tech Square Labs), Prakash Jankiraman (Nextdoor), Justin Rosenstein (Asana), Erik Torenberg, David Phillips (Hackbright), Sten Tamkivi (Skype, Teleport, etc), Mandela Schumacher-Hodge Dixon (Founder Gym), Edward Lando, Kevin Lee (Product Manager HQ), Kevin Olusola (Pentatonix), Anarghya Vardhana, and more About Our Partner This episode is also brought to you by Hawke Media. Hawke Media is a full-service Outsourced CMO based in Santa Monica, CA, providing guidance, planning, and execution to grow brands of all sizes, industries, and business models. Hawke Media was recognized by Inc. as the country’s fastest-growing marketing consultancy and is proudly one of Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work”​, 2019 #893 on the Forbes 5000 list, UpCity Top Los Angeles Digital Marketing Agency. Hawke’s collaborative process, à la carte offering, and month-to-month fee structure give clients the flexibility they need to boost digital revenues and marketing ROI. Hawke Media The company has serviced over 1500 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Listen to our interview with Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, in episode 23 of the Just Go Grind Podcast. Some of the Topics Covered by Ruben Harris in this Episode What Career Karma is and what it's like to work with them How Ruben and his Co-Founders decided to start Career Karma Sending 1,900+ cold emails to break into investment banking and the process behind cold outreach Ruben's experience going through Y Combinator and what he did after getting rejected from YC the first time The importance of not lying to yourself and staying laser-focused Ruben's experience raising funding in the seed round for Career Karma What's fueled the growth in the last year (2020) Why user-generated content has been a key driver for Career Karma How Ruben and his team approach partnerships at Career Karma and what they look for in coding bootcamps How Ruben and his team manage so many different relationships The business model behind Career Karma How Career Karma will become a $100B company What Ruben and his team are doing with Reskill America The book Ruben is reading right now Sign up for The Weekly Grind, for actionable insights and stories from successful entrepreneurs delivered to your inbox once per week: https://www.justgogrind.com/newsletter/ Listen to all episodes of the Just Go Grind Podcast: https://www.justgogrind.com/podcast/ Follow Justin Gordon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/justingordon212 Follow Justin Gordon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/

Tyler Bushnell is the Founder & CEO of Polycade ( https://polycade.com/ ) the only arcade machine that's been designed for classic and modern games, giving you the ability to play everything from the best new indies, retro classics, or the most graphics-intensive modern fighters. About Polycade (From Tyler) I grew up surrounded by gaming in a way that most kids could never dream of experiencing. My dad invented Atari and started Chuck E Cheese. I know. I still can't believe how crazy that is. From a young age, I was lucky enough to witness the power of gaming as a means of social bonding. My seven brothers and I were enveloped by games; we lived and breathed them. We built community around playing games together in person. It was this unique upbringing that allowed me to notice the massive market opportunity for gaming in today's world. Internet connectivity is changing the way we interact with one another. We're spending more time communicating virtually, we're losing face-to-face social connectedness, and we're becoming socially isolated. At the same time, modern video games are pushing players toward solitary gaming. The low-commitment experience that once made video gaming accessible and so popular in out of home environments has largely disappeared. We know that being around others builds trust and friendship, that face-to-face connection brings happiness, that replacing your real-world relationships with social media use is detrimental to your health. We know we need to spend more time out of our homes, off our phones, and be more in the moment. So why isn't technology working harder to connect people in real life and build communities that affect our well-being for the better? As children of Nolan Bushnell, my siblings and I were often reminded of the power of gaming to bring people together. We heard it in the stories of 100s of people who told my dad that they had met their significant other over a game of Pong and thanked him for his part in making that happen. We saw it with our own eyes. We recognize that we have an opportunity to provide the perfect catalyst for interaction. So we set out on a mission to make gaming social: getting people out of their houses, making new friends, and building community. Oh, and having some fun along the way too. We created Polycade. About Our Partner This episode is also brought to you by Hawke Media. Hawke Media is a full-service Outsourced CMO based in Santa Monica, CA, providing guidance, planning, and execution to grow brands of all sizes, industries, and business models. Hawke Media was recognized by Inc. as the country’s fastest-growing marketing consultancy and is proudly one of Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work”​, 2019 #893 on the Forbes 5000 list, UpCity Top Los Angeles Digital Marketing Agency. Hawke’s collaborative process, à la carte offering, and month-to-month fee structure give clients the flexibility they need to boost digital revenues and marketing ROI. Hawke Media The company has serviced over 1500 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Listen to our interview with Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, in episode 23 of the Just Go Grind Podcast. Some of the Topics Covered by Tyler Bushnell in this Episode How Tyler decided to use Kickstarter to raise funds for Polycade initially How Polycade got started The benefits of using Kickstarter to test products The amount of preparation that went into Tyler's Kickstarter campaign for Polycade and how it went How Tyler built the initial prototype for Polycade Some of the early problems Tyler faced when created Polycade How Tyler approached pricing for this product Why Tyler decided to go through the Techstars accelerator and how Tyler's experience went The importance of understanding what a contract manufacturer is Getting introductions to about 140 investors through Techstars to raise a seed round The team behind Polycade today The customer acquisition strategy for Polycade Licensing for Polycade How Tyler has leveraged influencer collaborations to grow Polycade Working with Juelz Santana, Steve Aoki, and Lil John How growing up with a family of entrepreneurs (His dad, Nolan Bushnell, started Atari and Chuck E. Cheese) influenced Tyler Sign up for The Weekly Grind, for actionable insights and stories from successful entrepreneurs delivered to your inbox once per week: https://www.justgogrind.com/newsletter/ Listen to all episodes of the Just Go Grind Podcast: https://www.justgogrind.com/podcast/ Follow Justin Gordon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/justingordon212 Follow Justin Gordon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/

Eric Gilbert is the Co-Founder of Treefort Music Fest ( https://www.treefortmusicfest.com/ ) an annual 5 day event in Boise, Idaho that's had over 133,000 attendees in 8 years and featured 1000s of bands from around the world. Treefort Music Fest is a five-day indie music festival, held at numerous venues throughout downtown Boise, Idaho every year in March. Over the first eight years it has expanded to also include Alefort, Artfort, Comedyfort, Dragfort, Filmfort, Foodfort, Hackfort, Kidfort, Skatefort, Storyfort, and Yogafort. Treefort is now a full-fledged multi-disciplinary event with a lot of dynamic collaboration and community engagement. Treefort is very active year round as an important champion for creatives. Invest in Treefort Music Fest: https://wefunder.com/treefort About Our Partners This episode is also brought to you by Hawke Media. Hawke Media is a full-service Outsourced CMO based in Santa Monica, CA, providing guidance, planning, and execution to grow brands of all sizes, industries, and business models. Hawke Media was recognized by Inc. as the country’s fastest-growing marketing consultancy and is proudly one of Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work”​, 2019 #893 on the Forbes 5000 list, UpCity Top Los Angeles Digital Marketing Agency. Hawke’s collaborative process, à la carte offering, and month-to-month fee structure give clients the flexibility they need to boost digital revenues and marketing ROI. Hawke Media The company has serviced over 1500 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Listen to our interview with Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, in episode 23 of the Just Go Grind Podcast. Some of the Topics Covered by Eric Gilbert in this Episode What Treefort Music Fest is and the different "forts" they have How Treefort Music Fest got started The planning behind the first Treefort Music Fest and how the first festival did from a business perspective The marketing behind the first festival Getting sponsors for Treefort Music Fest The differences from the first year to the second year Becoming a Certified B Corporation vs. becoming a non-profit What it takes to run Treefort Music Fest today and the team behind it How Eric and his team decided to crowdfund with Wefunder How the team behind Treefort Music Fest markets the events with a small budget Eric's advice around starting a festival Sign up for The Weekly Grind, for actionable insights and stories from successful entrepreneurs delivered to your inbox once per week: https://www.justgogrind.com/newsletter/ Listen to all episodes of the Just Go Grind Podcast: https://www.justgogrind.com/podcast/ Follow Justin Gordon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/justingordon212 Follow Justin Gordon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/

Dan is the Co-Founder and Chief Grain Officer of ReGrained, a mission-driven ingredient platform that leverages technology and culinary science to transform beer waste into food. Dan is an entrepreneurial systems thinker and loves tackling seemingly intractable problems through creative entrepreneurship and cross-sectoral collaboration. Through ReGrained, he has become a thought-leader about food waste business models, "edible upcycling" and the circular economy for food. ReGrained has:-Forbes 30 under 30: Food and Beverage (2018) -Won Slow Money NorCal's Food Funded Pitch Competition (2017) -Finalist at FoodBytes! (2016) -Finalist at SXSW Eco-Reuse and Recycling Sector (2016) -Burt's Bees Natural Launchpad (2016) -Won a sustainable innovation award at Sustainable Brands 2016 and was selected for Burt's Bees Natural Product Launchpad. Dan holds an MBA in Sustainable Business from Presidio Graduate School and a BA in Economics from UCLA. More on ReGrained: ReGrained better aligns the food we eat with the planet we love. They are an ingredient platform created to promote an innovative model of food production that they've coined as “Edible Upcycling.” Powered by patent-pending technology, they reimagine perceived ends as beginnings by finding nutritious food streams that are currently being treated as inedible and render them into delicious and healthy food. They rescue these overlooked but awesome ingredients and put them back to work. Their goal: To improve the way we value food and the resources that support all life Their initial focus: Upcycling the nutritious grain created every time that beer is brewed. In the U.S. alone, billions of pounds of this latent supply chain are available every year. Brewing beer processes the sugar out of the grain. This gives them optimal access to protein, fiber, and micronutrients. They upcycle this grain into ReGrained flour. They incorporate this sustainable, delicious, and nutritious ingredient into every ReGrained product, starting with SuperGrain+ Bars wrapped in innovative 100% backyard compostable packaging. Their mission doesn’t stop at waste ─ they are a Certified B Corp and support environmental conservation and social impact through 1% for the Planet. About Our Partner This episode is also brought to you by Hawke Media. Hawke Media is a full-service Outsourced CMO based in Santa Monica, CA, providing guidance, planning, and execution to grow brands of all sizes, industries, and business models. Hawke Media was recognized by Inc. as the country’s fastest-growing marketing consultancy and is proudly one of Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work”​, 2019 #893 on the Forbes 5000 list, UpCity Top Los Angeles Digital Marketing Agency. Hawke’s collaborative process, à la carte offering, and month-to-month fee structure give clients the flexibility they need to boost digital revenues and marketing ROI. Hawke Media The company has serviced over 1500 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Listen to our interview with Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, in episode 23 of the Just Go Grind Podcast. Connect with Daniel Kurzrock and ReGrained ReGrained - https://www.regrained.com/ Invest in ReGrained - https://wefunder.com/regrained Wefunder discount through Just Go Grind - https://wefunder.com/raisemoney/justgogrind Some of the Topics Covered by Daniel Kurzrock in this Episode What ReGrained is doing to build a more sustainable food system Why Dan decided to tackle this problem How Dan turned his idea into a real business Why Dan didn't drop everything to go all-in on ReGrained right away How ReGrained was acquiring customers early on Why Dan wanted to be an ingredient company The insights gleamed along the way when trying to market ReGrained and the problem with their early slogan of "Eat Beer" How ReGrained Supergrain+ came about What upcycling is and why it's important The Upcycled Food Association and why Dan helped create it Doing research with the USDA Dan's experience raising capital for ReGrained and why they chose to do equity crowdfunding through Wefunder How Dan has gone about building his team at ReGrained Books that have been impactful for Dan How Dan recharges outside of work Sign up for The Weekly Grind, for actionable insights and stories from successful entrepreneurs delivered to your inbox once per week: https://www.justgogrind.com/newsletter/ Listen to all episodes of the Just Go Grind Podcast: https://www.justgogrind.com/podcast/ Follow Justin Gordon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/justingordon212 Follow Justin Gordon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/

Daniel Kaplan, a Senior Associate at Generator Ventures ( https://generatorvc.com/ ) is passionate about advancing senior care and aging. Generator Ventures partners with exceptional entrepreneurs who are leveraging technology to transform the aging experience. They believe that when high-tech, high-touch solutions are built to address the massive opportunities and challenges of the aging population, all stakeholders − seniors, caregivers, payers, providers, investors, and society − will succeed.  About Our Partner This episode is also brought to you by Hawke Media. Hawke Media is a full-service Outsourced CMO based in Santa Monica, CA, providing guidance, planning, and execution to grow brands of all sizes, industries, and business models. Hawke Media was recognized by Inc. as the country’s fastest-growing marketing consultancy and is proudly one of Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work”​, 2019 #893 on the Forbes 5000 list, UpCity Top Los Angeles Digital Marketing Agency. Hawke’s collaborative process, à la carte offering, and month-to-month fee structure give clients the flexibility they need to boost digital revenues and marketing ROI. Hawke Media The company has serviced over 1500 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Listen to our interview with Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, in episode 23 of the Just Go Grind Podcast. Some of the Topics Covered by Daniel Kaplan in this Episode What Generator Ventures focuses on ($55M Fund, $1M-$3M checks) The value add of Generator Ventures and incredible team they have in the healthcare world Where Generator Ventures is sourcing deals from The number of new deals and follow on investments Generator Ventures typically is making in a year How COVID has impacted Generator Ventures The importance of speaking with customers as a VC and some of the questions Daniel typically asks How Generator Ventures supports their portfolio companies Daniel's experience as a mentor for Techstars' Future of Longevity Accelerator Go-to-market strategies in healthcare Some of the questions Daniel asks when he's reviewing the deck of a startup Why Daniel wanted to get into venture capital Opportunities within aging and senior care Value-based care What Daniel's role entails at Generator Ventures Sign up for The Weekly Grind, for actionable insights and stories from successful entrepreneurs delivered to your inbox once per week: https://www.justgogrind.com/newsletter/ Listen to all episodes of the Just Go Grind Podcast: https://www.justgogrind.com/podcast/ Follow Justin Gordon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/justingordon212 Follow Justin Gordon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/

Amelia Lin is the Co-Founder & CEO of Saga, a voice based social app to stay close with family and friends. They help families save the life stories of loved ones on audio--it's like getting a personal podcast of your Grandma's childhood stories. Saga sends weekly prompts - they record and share. It's easy for anyone to use, they can dial a number from their phone to record, even without the app. Learn more at https://trysaga.com (They're hiring) About Our Partner This episode is also brought to you by Hawke Media. Hawke Media is a full-service Outsourced CMO based in Santa Monica, CA, providing guidance, planning, and execution to grow brands of all sizes, industries, and business models. Hawke Media was recognized by Inc. as the country’s fastest-growing marketing consultancy and is proudly one of Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work”​, 2019 #893 on the Forbes 5000 list, UpCity Top Los Angeles Digital Marketing Agency. Hawke’s collaborative process, à la carte offering, and month-to-month fee structure give clients the flexibility they need to boost digital revenues and marketing ROI. Hawke Media The company has serviced over 1500 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Listen to our interview with Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, in episode 23 of the Just Go Grind Podcast. Some of the Topics Covered by Amelia Lin in this Episode What Saga is and how it works How Saga got started and what the initial version consisted of The evolution of Saga into an audio product Manually sending question prompts in the early days How Amelia decided what to charge early on for the product Amelia's experience fundraising for Saga and what she changed from her first time fundraising to her second time Use of funds for Saga after fundraising How Amelia is building her team and what she's looking for in new team members What's fueled the growth of Saga up until this point How Amelia is developing the product itself The various use cases for Saga How the different question packs are created for Saga The business model today with Saga How to continuously iterate on making a better social app The conversations with Amelia and her team around creating a magical experience with Saga Amelia's thoughts on whether she thought she'd be an entrepreneur at this point in her life Books that have been impactful for Amelia How Amelia recharges outside of work Sign up for The Weekly Grind, for actionable insights and stories from successful entrepreneurs delivered to your inbox once per week: https://www.justgogrind.com/newsletter/ Listen to all episodes of the Just Go Grind Podcast: https://www.justgogrind.com/podcast/ Follow Justin Gordon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/justingordon212 Follow Justin Gordon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/

Jonny Price is the Director of Fundraising at Wefunder ( https://wefunder.com/ ) where he is working to empower entrepreneurs with capital and customers. He finds great entrepreneurs and helps them succeed on the Wefunder platform. About Our Partners This episode is also brought to you by Hawke Media. Hawke Media is a full-service Outsourced CMO based in Santa Monica, CA, providing guidance, planning, and execution to grow brands of all sizes, industries, and business models. Hawke Media was recognized by Inc. as the country’s fastest-growing marketing consultancy and is proudly one of Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work”​, 2019 #893 on the Forbes 5000 list, UpCity Top Los Angeles Digital Marketing Agency. Hawke’s collaborative process, à la carte offering, and month-to-month fee structure give clients the flexibility they need to boost digital revenues and marketing ROI. Hawke Media The company has serviced over 1500 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Listen to our interview with Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, in episode 23 of the Just Go Grind Podcast. Some of the Topics Covered by Jonny Price in this Episode What Wefunder does What an accredited investor is The types of crowdfunding platforms and who should consider raising funds this way The process for an entrepreneur getting started with Wefunder How long the average crowdfunding campaigns takes from beginning to completion The pre-launch tasks a startup completes before their campaign goes live The benefits of regulation crowdfunding Potential downsides of crowdfunding Why thoughts around equity crowdfunding are evolving for VCs The process of getting a lead investor on Wefunder The two main value props of Wefunder The types of capital raised through Wefunder What separates Wefunder from other equity crowdfunding platforms How Jonny decided to join Wefunder The potential lift of the cap on regulation crowdfunding from $1.07M to $5M Wefunder being on track from $7M of investment volume this month The minimum and average investment on Wefunder Some of the best companies to come out of Wefunder What's next for crowdfunding Sign up for The Weekly Grind, for actionable insights and stories from successful entrepreneurs delivered to your inbox once per week: https://www.justgogrind.com/newsletter/ Listen to all episodes of the Just Go Grind Podcast: https://www.justgogrind.com/podcast/ Follow Justin Gordon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/justingordon212 Follow Justin Gordon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/

Today on “The Shine Strategy,” I’m beyond thrilled to introduce you to Cathy Heller, host of the popular podcast “Don’t Keep Your Day Job,” which was given the #1 spot on iTunes’ recommended list of shows in 2018 and 2019. The show has received 9 million downloads and helps listeners find purpose in their lives and get paid doing what they love. Cathy has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, the NY Times and Inc. Magazine. She has interviewed creatives and entrepreneurs at the top of their game, including actress Jenna Fischer, popular blogger Seth Godin, designer Jonathan Adler, make-up artist Bobbi Brown, dancer Mandy Moore, Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon, fitness expert Jillian Michaels, Starbucks’s Howard Schultz and Gretchen Rubin, just to name a few. Cathy’s book, Don’t Keep Your Day Job, is coming out in November, and is filled with inspirational stories from people within her own tribe who have decided to take control of their creative career path. She is an extraordinary motivational coach and recognized for her genuine style. She often says “purpose is the opposite of depression,” and she lifts others to be the happiest version of themselves. Cathy has incredible insight on the power of enthusiasm, and how to do the things in life that scare you the most. For show notes and more visit www.podcast.theshinestrategy.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#007 （Rie & Nagisa） 今回はNagisaが出張で訪れた大阪＆京都のホテルでの話、RieからはこのPodcastがきっかけに生まれたコミュニケーションの話、Yukaが作ってくれたThe Potluckのムービーの話、そして今週のメイントピックスにはAllbirdsやGREATS,KOIOなどのスニーカのD2Cブランドについて話しました。 【Shownote】 ✓Nagisaが大阪・京都で泊まった＆注目しているホテル 　St.Regis Osaka https://www.marriott.co.jp/hotels/travel/osaxr-the-st-regis-osaka/ 　MALDA KYOTO https://www.maldakyoto.com/ 　W HOTELS https://w-hotels.marriott.com/ja-JP/ ✓The Potluck SistersのYukaが作ってくれたThe Potluckのムービー 　https://challenge.musicbed.com/submissions/the-potluck/c7IOpv 　※musicbedでの投票は終了してしまったようです、すみません… ✓Podcastまわり 　noracast https://noracast.jp/ 　Podcast Freaks https://podcastfreaks.com/ ✓スニーカーのD2Cブランド 　Allbirds https://www.allbirds.com/ 　GREATS https://www.greats.com/ 　KOIO https://www.koio.co/ 　M GEMI https://mgemi.com/ 　TAMARA MELLON https://www.tamaramellon.com/ ✓GREATSとKOIOの競合？ 　Common Projects http://www.commonprojects.com/ ――――――――――――――――――― The Potluck Instagramも始まったのでぜひフォローしてください:D Podcastで触れた場所や商品、ブランドなどの写真もポストしています。 https://www.instagram.com/thepotluckus/ ――――――――――――――――――― リクエスト、感想などはハッシュタグ #ThePotluck をつけてポストしてください

Prior to Hawke, Erik founded, grew and sold two successful ecommerce companies. Huberman is the recipient of numerous awards including Forbes “30Under30,” Inc. Magazine's “Top 25 Marketing Influencers,” and Best in Biz North America's “Marketing Executive of the Year.” A regular contributor to major publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur and CS Q, Huberman is also a well-known keynote speaker. Erik Huberman is the founder and CEO of Hawke Media, the fastest growing marketing agency in the United States. Launched in 2014, Hawke Media has serviced over 1000 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Hawke Media has taken home numerous industry awards including inclusion on the Inc. 5000 2017 list of “Fastest Growing Companies”, Fortune Magazine's “50 Best Workplaces in Southern California” and Forbes' “Content Marketing Companies to Check Out in 2018. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theartofsuccess/support